Proverbial Revitalization
by Whimsical Symphony
Summary: AU. Yuna is a Sender in Bevelle who is all but infatuated with the city of Zanarkand and the sport, Blitzball. Grand Maester Mika invites her to Zanarkand, along with her father, Lord Braska, to wish the athletes well for the coming tournament. There she meets new friends, and one man, who change her life eternally, all in the city which never sleeps: Zanarkand. Tidus/Yuna
1. The Sender

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

**Summary: **AU. Yuna is a Sender, an apprentice of Summoner Belgemine, in the city of Bevelle. She is the daughter of the famous Summoner Braska, and thus, knows very well, Spira's ruler, Grand Maester Mika. Upon hearing a diplomat long ago speak of Zanarkand, its temptations, how wonderful it is, she gains an interest, an obsession, an infatuation with the city, and would very much like to see it with her own eyes. She's curious of this city which is so very different from her own, from top to bottom, from the culture itself, to the people and their personalities, all the way to Blitzball, which she so desperately wants to see in the stadium all lit up at night. Maester Mika goes annually to encourage the Blitzball players who compete for the international championship, and decides to take Yuna along with him this time. Yuna is elated, and goes on the journey with Braska, Belgemine, and Maester Mika, and while seeing all the sights that Zanarkand has to offer, meets people who will change her left entirely. Yuna/Tidus

_I have been browsing the FFX fandom, and am sad that there are a lack of new Yuna/Tidus stories, even though their story was a complete masterpiece. This writing style is more reminiscent of my Original fiction writing, and might be an acquired taste. It lacks the simplicity that was in my previous fanfiction (which I am still working on, if you are wondering). In any case, through my jolt of inspiration, this story was born. I hope you all enjoy, and tell me your thoughts on the story. Any kind of comments are welcome, and I always attempt to answer back. Constructive Criticism is also appreciated._

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Sender**

The girl looked over the white marble fenced ledge to what lay beyond her own hometown. But, then she realized it was nothing. Nothing but the endless clouds which drifted across the blue sky and accumulated like mist did close to the falls. The clouds made her hometown look saintly, blessed, and the endless blue sea which surrounded it added a godlike presence to the city. Even more so near the tallest structure in the city, so high that it touched the clouds, coexisted with them. The city of Bevelle, was what most people in the world would refer to as the Heart of Spira, centre of the culture of Yevon, filled with priests of the highest order, Maesters and Summoners. It was home to the Grand Maester of Yevon, Maester Mika, who with a calm hand, ruled over Spira's pious society, all with the belief of Yevon. And, it was also the home of Yuna's own father, the kind Summoner Braska, a powerful man, a doting father, and the person whom Yuna loved most in the world. Her affection for him would not be beaten out by her affection for other people. A section of her heart, no, perhaps her entire heart was reserved for her father.

"Yuna, it's time for your training. Where have you run off to now?" It was a voice that Yuna always loved to hear, yet all the same, she enjoyed hiding from the owner to deceive her. The one thing lacking with Bevelle was that there wasn't much fun at all. Bevelle was in no shortage of all of the things Yuna did love, all except the fun and enjoyment she always heard of from diplomats of other cities who came to visit.

"Yuna, did you know?" she remembered one saying. "I was in Zanarkand last. The buildings are so different from here in Bevelle. They reach high into the sky, so much so it could make one dizzy if they try to see the top." Yuna looked at the old, bearded man with eyes of wonder. "Even when for us, late at night, we all turn our lights off and sleep, the city of Zanarkand doesn't. The city doesn't sleep at all. They all play the sport of Blitzball, and watch with wide eyes, the games going on in the stadium all lit up at night."

That's when her avid fascination with Zanarkand started, she remembered. Her fascination with the sport of Blitzball she knew nothing about, the strange customs of these people who never slept. While they walked around humbly garbed in priests robes from head to toe, those in Zanarkand wore different clothes, ones that showed they had gall, even. Yuna wanted to see that stadium at night, with all the players, hearing the spectators cheering, feeling the cool wind on her skin, teasing it gently. It seemed like a new life.

The one who called her was a woman by the name of Belgemine, an older lady dressed in green garbs. Her smile was comforting, and had been ever since Yuna had met her as a little girl. This woman was Yuna's instructor on the art of summoning and sending, as her own father didn't have time to teach her sufficiently. The woman herself had suffered a severe injury, so could no longer perform the art of summoning and sending to the people, but nonetheless, she remained equivalent to nobility in Bevelle due to her past actions. Her willingness to teach Yuna only reinforced that.

"Come now, so you were hiding near the Palace of St. Bevelle again, hmm?" Belgemine chuckled. "I know it's because you want to go from here to Zanarkand presumably, correct?"

"I can't hide it from you, can I?" Yuna smiled, shyly. "You know me too well."

Belgemine shook her head. "Only because you're a poor liar, Yuna." The girl flushed red. Her father always said the same thing, that she had no talent when it came to the art of fibbing. The older lady smiled, her eyes creasing at the outer corners, her happiness clearly showing. "Now, come Yuna. We should get some of the lesson done. Grand Maester Mika also has a present for you today."

"What could it be?" Yuna asked, clearly baffled. "Grand Maester Mika is always so busy. I haven't talked with him in a long time." She followed Belgemine away from the Palace of St. Bevelle. Her feet touched the cool tile of the flooring as she walked.

"You'll see, Yuna. Impatience is unbecoming of a future Summoner." Belgemine chuckled and ruffled the hair on her head, leaving it disarrayed, tousled, every which way. "It's news for you and your father. Myself as well, though I have heard it already."

"I'm sorry," Yuna said, bowing. Though, she smiled. She was curious about what Grand Maester Mika had to say to her and her father. Belgemine said it would be good news, a present, though what that entailed, she didn't know. It let her anxiety melt away though, dissolve, evaporate like water did when the sun was scorching hot. Grand Maester Mika had always been an unpredictable person from day one though, so perhaps Belgemine was wrong.

"Apologizing so much is also unbecoming, Yuna," Belgemine chastised. "What would your father say?" Belgemine thought on it for a moment. She chuckled then. "He would probably apologize as well. After all, you did get that trait from him."

"A little." Yuna smiled too. Together they left the Palace of St. Bevelle to the Temple of Yevon, wherein they would pray, for Yuna to be stronger, to become a better person, for Yevon to properly guide her. All the while Yuna thought about what Grand Maester Mika had to tell them, and then kept it out of mind. It would be best to concentrate on the task at hand, her father had always told her.

* * *

"Pray, Yuna," Belgemine told her softly, as they knelt in the temple in front of the statue of Lady Yunalesca, the first person to become a Summoner, the strongest Summoner, truly a woman who needed to be respected, even after death. Yuna herself wasn't there yet, for she was only a Sender. Senders were those on the path of becoming a Summoner. Belgemine had always told her that becoming a Sender had required talent, and thus, so did becoming a Summoner. Being a Sender was a terribly sorrowful duty, one that made Yuna feel hollow inside, yet grief stricken all at the same time. When she wanted to cry, she did not.

Being a Sender was the duty of sending those who died, their spirits, to the Farplane where they belonged so that they would not become unsent, for those who were unsent, often became fiends. It was always emotionally draining to, when she was dancing, sending those souls away, to hear their loved ones weeping, crying, and seeing them unable to support themselves. What sorrow they must have felt for their loved ones to disappear like that, for them to be suddenly gone, whether from sickness or accident.

"Belgemine, I hope to become a Summoner one day," she said softly, hands clasped in front of her, eyes closed as she prayed more, cleared her mind of all distractions.

"One day, Yuna, one day," Belgemine had said, and then for the rest of the time spent at the Temple of Yevon, all was silent, the air around them was tranquil.

* * *

"What?" Yuna had said, shocked. No, she felt so many things, not just shocked. The emotions inside her were in turmoil, though she didn't know if that was good or not. The news she had just heard had been joyous, about as much so as seeing a bud finally become a flower, or a caterpillar become a butterfly. But, she didn't know what to think, what to feel, even if she did feel happy, content, ecstatic. And before she knew what she was doing, she had run directly into her father's arms. Lord Braska knew what to expect from his daughter though, and kept his arms open for her, and then when she stood embracing him, he held her tight to him. "Really?" She looked up at him, questioning, then turned her gaze toward Grand Maester Mika.

Braska stood tall, handsome, garbed in his priests robes of red, which looked like petals of as flower, and made him look just as graceful. His headdress was grand, noble looking even. His eyes always held warmth in them, and he was always comforting. Maester Mika, as opposed to Braska's youthful appearance, was elderly, frail, but looked lord-like all the same, despite his beard of snow, and the wrinkles embedded deep into his skin in a design akin to an aged tree, wise and old.

"Yes, Yuna," Maester Mika said, his tone slow, deliberate, meaningful. "You know of the Blitzball games which happen each and every day in Zanarkand, of the tournament which happens annually. You know how I go there each year to bless the Blitzball athletes? As they give such joy to the people of Spira, it is only correct that I encourage such fine athletes." He paused for a moment, gauging her reaction, her wide eyed look full of curiosity, but all excitement. "I have decided to take you along with me this year, for the time a month before the tournament, the month during the competition, and for the celebrations for the month after. This will be a trip for you, Summoner Braska, and Summoner Belgemine. I think it is time that you learn about the confidence needed to become a Summoner. I also believe you can continue your training with Summoner Belgemine there. You are far too shy." He smiled at her then. "And, I know that you very much wanted to see Zankarkand and Blitzball."

Braska felt joy for his own daughter, that she would be able to see places outside of Bevelle, to see new customs, new people, to see how other people do things and celebrate. Yuna, already in her late teen years, was far too naïve for her age, though that was because she grew up in such isolation. He was glad of her innocence though, the kind, saintly, childlike aura she seemed to exude: no one _couldn't_ notice it. She had always been an overly selfless child. The females in Zanarkand, or rather, anywhere in Spira, none of them acted like Yuna, never. She was one of a kind, truly. "Aren't you happy, Yuna?" He smiled at her then, a small, soft smile.

"Of course, father," she replied with her own smile back. Detaching herself from her father, from his arms, she turned toward Grand Maester Mika and bowed low, and with her hands, created the gesture for the prayer of Yevon. "Thank you, Grand Maester Mika, for your kind words and consideration of my wishes. Praise be to Yevon." She ensured that she rose with purpose.

Maester Mika smiled, and although he didn't bow to her, he did create the gesture of Yevon for her. "Praise be to Yevon, Yuna." He let silence fill the room for the moment before continuing. "You will pack tonight. We will need to depart tomorrow. Summoner Belgemine already knows of this as well."

"Thank you for your kindness, Grand Maester Mika," Braska stated. "It means much to me that Yuna is allowed to see such places outside of Bevelle. It will prove to be an invaluable experience for her." He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It will prove to be a well needed experience," Maester Mika agreed. He turned to them again then, with a smile. "Go, you are dismissed. Be prepared for tomorrow at six in the morning. We will leave by ship."

Yuna hadn't remembered any day in which she had felt as content as this day.

* * *

"Hurry, Yuna," Belgemine called to the young girl. "Your Father is already waiting at the dock for you. What on earth are you doing?"

Lord Braska had left earlier, as he had his duties to fulfil for work earlier on, so he trusted Yuna to meet him there at the departing time. Belgemine, however, was a bit frustrated, as she was tasked with keeping Yuna on schedule. The young lady had still not exited her room, and instead was holed up in there doing god knows what.

"Coming!" called Yuna. She dressed in her traditional attire, snowy white sleeves, modest and long skirt, and quickly made her way down the stairs of her own home to meet Belgemine at the entrance. She pulled a suitcase behind her, large and bulky. It was difficult, of course, due to its weight, but Yuna did not falter.

Belgemine watched her come down the stairs with the suitcase in shock. "What is the need for that, Yuna?"

"They're for the Blitz captains we are to meet. Maester Mika said they were fine athletes who bring joy to Spira, so that would mean they deserve presents as well, right?" Yuna explained. "I would very much like to give them these…"

"I'm sure they would be satisfied with just your blessing, Yuna," Belgemine answered. And, it was true. Any Blitzball player would be honoured to receive a blessing from Maester Mika, and Lord Braska, so what was to say that they would hate a blessing from Lord Braska's daughter. "There's no need to carry that with you, it's not a pleasure cruise we're going on, even if it may seem like it. You will enjoy Blitzball without handing out gifts, hmm?" Belgemine looked awfully amused. "It's an extra burden to carry that along."

"I suppose you're right," Yuna stated. Leaving one suitcase behind, running up to her room and grabbing the one for just her clothes, she followed Belgemine out the main door, looking forward to meeting her father at the dock, and Maester Mika, and setting off to Zanarkand, the land which never sleeps.

* * *

They were on the ship then, sailing toward Zanarkand for hours now. The captain had said they were getting close, and then, Yuna felt her heart pounding, adrenaline flowing through her veins. An erratic heartbeat that suited her excitement to see the Blitzball, the tall skyscrapers, the wonderful dizziness she would feel while looking up high into the sky, and never truly seeing where the buildings would end. She imagined herself in the Blitzball stadium, all lit up at night, cheering more and more, until she couldn't possibly cheer anymore. While she felt the wind blow onto her face from the sea, she imagined all of this, still not quite believing that she was heading off to Zanarkand, the one place she wanted to be all this time.

And then, the ship released a loud honk, ear piercing, and when Yuna looked in the distance, she realized it was because they were near Zanarkand. Her heartbeat, the one pounding so quickly just moments before, had stopped, and all the air had left her lungs. She gasped. Zanarkand was utterly breathtaking, and this was just the edge of the metropolis.

"Yuna, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Braska said, looking to Zanarkand as well. "I have only been here once myself. It's very different than Bevelle, but beautiful in its own way."

"I'm happy," Yuna said simply, "to be able to see all of this. I want to see the Blitz stadium, the fans cheering. I want to see all of that."

"You will get to see it all." Braska smiled softly. "Don't worry. You will be right beside myself and Maester Mika as he meets the Blitzball captains, the star players, everyone."

Yuna answered her father with silence, but a smile, just a smile.

* * *

When they got off of the ship, the first thing Yuna noticed was the number of people on the streets. While Bevelle wasn't crowded at all, and all the air around it was tranquil, Zanarkand was the opposite. Couples walked the streets hand in hand, street performers attracted large, bustling crowds, children ran along with their parents, and groups of friends would chat animatedly to one another as they walked distractedly through the streets. All would follow one another, mostly unconsciously. Not an inch of cement walkway was left, all of them covered by the feet of people, always moving, rhythmic and enchanting. Yuna had never seen anything like it. In Bevelle, people would walk calmly, slowly, always with grace. In Zanarkand, they walked casually, not with that inert grace, and quickly too, never once falling behind. They moved as one, a unit, perhaps.

The buildings were as large as described, towering far above the reach of her naked eye. Billboards lined them, advertisements of products like cosmetics, new films, and of Blitzball. Advertisements of the tournament were there, but also of their own team, 'The Zanarkand Abes' to garner support for their home team. The lights were bright, even though it was night. It truly seemed like a city of dreams, she duly noted, like if she would just turn away, not mesmerized like she was, for a simple moment, all of the scenery around her would fade away, like it never existed in the first place, evaporate like water.

"It's beautiful," she said aloud, her mouth agape.

Belgemine patted her shoulder, thoroughly amused, her father was as well. "Come now, Yuna. We don't want you to get lost amongst all the people here. Keep close, hmm?"

Yuna flushed, embarrassed, before taking the woman's advice and following her closely like a shadow did to its respective owner.

"Belgemine is correct, Yuna. We wouldn't want to lose you here. The crowds in Zanarkand definitely need some getting used to." It was Braska who spoke then, reinforcing Belgemine's words.

Then, the crowds gathered even further around them, as Maester Mika walked alongside them. Guards, special unit, from Bevelle held them back. Maester Mika truly was famous everywhere, and Yuna noted, her father as well. People looked at them in awe, at Maester Mika and Lord Braska, in awe. The blended voices, grew louder, more cheerful, and she realized they were calling for them, cheering for Lord Braska, and for Maester Mika.

The crowds got too big then, for the guards to handle, much too big, so they enclosed the space around Maester Mika, protecting him, and around Lord Braska. But, this was done much too late, for even though Yuna's hands were wrapped around Belgemine's tightly, her soft skin touching her own, out of fear, she was separated from them. The crowd had pulled them a part, and she had no idea where they could be. She craned her neck around, attempting to see past the people, to spot her father, Belgemine, and Maester Mika, but to no avail, as the people pushed her further and further back, nonchalantly, almost unnoticing of her form drifting through the bodies, being shoved around painfully.

"Look over there, it's Maester Mika!" a female voice had shouted.

"And Summoner Braska," a male shouted.

Yuna had only wished she could see what they were seeing, so that she would be able to join her father and their group again, but it was a hopeless wish with her current predicament.

Yuna winced in pain as the pushing and shoving stopped, as the crowd got further and further away. She dusted her skirt off with her hands, and then the snowy white sleeves of her top. She looked around then, promising to herself that she would not cry for her father like some child, but attempt to find a solution. Even if she was trapped in a new city without any one she knew, all by herself, it was the pride of a summoner she was risking if she cried. Belgemine would be disappointed with her if she did, her father though, would just attempt to console her.

Belgemine had her suitcase, at least, so she knew that it had not gotten lost. And, she knew where they were headed off too. They were going to the Blitzball stadium to watch the demo games, to meet some of the players. Oh, how envious she was at the moment. She would need to find her own way there, to find where the stadium was.

She willed herself to walk, and walked as quickly as a Zanarkand native, after the direction the crowd had disappeared unto. She watched the sights around her, which were now a little intimidating considering she didn't know anyone. The forms of the buildings seemed almost imposing because of her loneliness. A large metropolis like this definitely had that skill of making a person feel as such.

The further she went down the streets, the more unsure she became about whether or not she was heading off to the right direction. So engrossed in her thoughts, was she, that she crashed into a body, and landed painfully on the hard cement floor.

When she looked up, the first thing she noticed were the crowd of females around, glowering at her menacingly.

"She did that on purpose, didn't she?" on whispered to her friend.

"Just to catch his attention, it seems," another stated, brusquely. She brushed her red hair out of her eyes with increasing frustration.

There were so many, she noticed. She couldn't see the end of them, and when she looked up, she assumed why. She had bumped into a boy with perfectly sun kissed skin, charmingly and boyishly messy, bright blonde hair, and the deepest eyes of blue. His attire was strange, mostly yellow and black, and must have been for an athlete. He held a Blitzball in his black gloved hands, as he stared at her curiously.

"Are you okay?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to take. He grinned then, after looking at her clothes. "You definitely aren't from around you, are you?"

His voice was like honeyed tea, soft, summery, and utterly comforting. For some reason, Yuna no longer felt like she would be left in this large city all alone, and that she would never find her father.

* * *

_Words: 3 694_


	2. Walk of Dreams

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_Hello again. I've managed to write chapter two of this which contains much interaction between Tidus and Yuna. Hope you enjoy; any thoughts on the chapter are definitely appreciated as well as any constructive criticism._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Walk of Dreams**

Yuna looked at the gloved hand offered to her for a moment, slightly hesitant. Shaking her head at her own silliness, she clasped his hand in her own, and with a burst of strength from the boy, she was back on her feet. Flushing shyly, averting her eyes, she took solace from all the eyes, the stares, the unnerving gazes, by looking at her boots and the pavement underneath them. Distractedly, she brushed off the dust from her skirt which came from her clumsy fall. Yuna cautiously examined the boy once more, the boy with the summery voice and the most pleasant warm hands, that heat which radiated through his gloves. She would place her hope in him for now, that he would know where the stadium was. He was a blitzball player, so he should know. And, he was a Zanarkand native. Their very lives depended upon wandering the night streets which were lit up brightly, and then watching a game, cheering with all of their companions. He would know.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, bowing with her hands clasped. It was how she had always been taught to apologize back in Bevelle. Her father, and Belgemine, had always said that when an individual apologizes, they must ensure that the other party realizes how genuine it is, and recognize the heartfelt meaning behind it. But, the two had promptly told her to forget that life lesson, as Yuna had made a habit of apologizing so sincerely to everything. Her father commented that he was the same. Belgemine had chastised the two, as apologizing so much was unbecoming, but she smiled warmly regardless. "I should have watched where I was going. I thank you very much for your assistance."

"Whoa, bowing? No one does that here! You have to loosen up," the boy said, grinning. He looked at her once more. "Nope, definitely not from around here."

"I'm from Bevelle," Yuna answered his implied question. She couldn't help but look a little solemn after she explained a little. "You see, I've gotten separated from my father. I was attempting to try to meet them where we were originally planning to be."

"Bevelle, huh? So, that's why you're so conservative," Tidus mused. But, he heard her plight then, and saw the glum mood settle upon her, any trace of happiness disperse as quickly as birds did when humans stepped near. He turned to the rest of his fans then and waved them all goodbye.

"Seems like her plan worked, didn't it?"

"She just stole his attention away!"

Yuna couldn't fathom what was happening, but all the mutters resembled those in some way. Negative views toward her, they certainly were. The young man in front of her chuckled, and then grabbed her hand before dashing away. Yuna struggled to keep up with him as her surroundings flashed by her in bursts of colour. His grin was contagious, she had soon learned.

They had ceased running then, from the crowd of fans which had chased the young man. They stopped in a busy street full of lights and people walking carelessly and swaying to the beat brought by music played in nearby stores.

Yuna panted then, struggling to catch her breath. "Who were those people?"

"Fans," he said bluntly. He looked proud then, almost boastful, yet in a charming, boyishly teasing manner. "You're looking at the star player of the Zanarkand Abes, you know. My name's Tidus."

"Star player?" Yuna asked. She smiled then. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've always wanted to watch Blitzball, but in Bevelle, it has never been possible." She paused then, "Tidus, thank you for your help," she said, testing his name out on her tongue.

His hand tightened around hers. "You'll watch a game of mine, won't you?" He paused for a moment, releasing her hand from his grip. He liked the way his name sounded coming from her. "You know, I should help you find your old man, shouldn't I? It would be bad leaving a pretty girl to wander around Zanarkand all by herself. You have any idea where they said they would meet up?"

"Ah, yes. They were meeting up at the Blitzball Stadium," Yuna told him, flushing due to his straightforward nature.

The young man now known as Tidus grinned. "Well, what do you know; I'm heading there as well. It's this way!"

So they walked side by side, he always waiting for her to catch up, never once letting her out of his sight. Yuna smiled secretly to herself, feeling it form because of his own warm smile, his own warm hands. He seemed to know everyone on the streets, she noticed, the children idolized him, the women, elderly folk, he was nice to all of them, giving them a large grin and a wave as he continued to walk by her, leading her to the Blitzball Stadium. His walk was slow, casual, not a rush at all, and Yuna was glad at least she could look at all the sights beside a Zanarkand native, to see the world how he saw it.

"You see that over there?" Tidus pointed over to a coffee shop, comfortable, cozy. People drank coffee and ate desserts outside as well, under parasols. The sign's letters were metal and said the word _Machina. _"My friends and I always hang out over there. Rikku, one of my friends, runs that place with her brother and her uncle, Cid. It's pretty well known around this place, so if you ever want to drink some coffee around here, I suggest you try it out." He smiled then, softly. "I always head there after games, more so when I lose, which isn't often just to let you know." He stretched his arms then and then averted his eyes. "But when I do, it's always been a good place to cheer up. A really homey feel, you know?"

Yuna could see what he meant by homey feel then. All the couples conversed as if they were at home, on the couch, curled up together with a nice cup of hot chocolate and a newspaper lying over their laps. They all chatted amongst themselves, even people who didn't know each other. It was all very informal, and looking at the young man in front of her, she could see that he wasn't into the formal places. Yuna smiled at him. "I see." He looked at her, puzzled. "The homey feel: I see it now, without any problems. I will make sure to eat here with my father."

He flushed slightly, averting his eyes again. "Well, just giving you a tour, since it's your first time in Zanarkand and all."

"Thank you." Yuna chuckled, and the young man looked more embarrassed than before, but then, they both laughed then, together.

"Tidus!" a voice called. They both looked around for the source of it, and then they found that it came from a blonde haired girl in a bright orange vest and shorts. Her grin was wide and lit up her entire face. She panted, out of breath after she had run to them and then stopped. "Tidus, you should have come inside for a drink! You're going to pass our store without any of our drinks at all?"

"Sorry Rikku, it's just that we're in a bit of a rush," Tidus told her, laughing after she punched him playfully. He turned to Yuna and then gestured to Rikku. "This is one of my good friends, Rikku. I think you'll like her, that is, if she doesn't scare you off."

"You meanie, Tidus!" Rikku punched him again and then pouted. Tidus rubbed the sore spot on his arm with caution, feeling the soon to be bruise. Yuna chuckled as she watched the two interact. Rikku looked at Yuna then, observed her, before coming to a decision. She grinned. "Tidus, your taste has definitely improved! So, how's Tidus been treating you, huh?"

Yuna looked at her, confused. "Tidus has been treating me well."

"Rikku, stop that! I'm not dating her, she's just an acquaintance," Tidus explained. He crossed his arms and pulled his lips into a tight line. "Don't make her think I'm a player or something."

"Figures," Rikku said, sighing. "All the good ones are only acquaintances." She grinned teasingly at Tidus. "But you _are _a player. What about all those floozies you always have on your arm, huh? This girl would have been a nice change for you."

"I do not have floozies on my arm," Tidus protested vehemently, not looking Yuna or Rikku in the eye.

"You have fans, and some of the women are floozies Tidus, you've got to realize!" Rikku chastised.

"Player? Do you mean like a Blitzball player? And what's a floozy?" Yuna asked, not quite keeping up with the conversation. She had learned though, from interaction, that Rikku and Tidus were very close and knew quite a lot about each other and how they acted. Yuna couldn't help but note that Rikku not only acted sunny, but looked sunny as well, dressed in orange, and having her nails painted yellow. Her hair was gorgeous as well, pulled back, and her skin showed smile lines from the fact that she smiled so much.

"Ah, forgot. Rikku, she's from Bevelle. Floozies, players, and all that sort of stuff doesn't exist over there," he explained to Rikku.

"You're from Bevelle?" Rikku asked her. Yuna nodded, smiling at the woman. "Well, all you need to know is that Tidus dates a lot of women. He wouldn't be the ideal guy to place your bets on a relationship with."

"I see," Yuna said, bewildered. She looked from the girl in front of her to Tidus.

"See what you made her do? She's going to think I'm some poor excuse for a guy," Tidus said, glowering.

"Despite all that, he's a good guy to be friends with," Rikku finished. Tidus sighed and Yuna looked content. "What's your name, by the way? I need to make sure I know your name if you ever come to eat and get a cup of coffee here."

"I'm Yuna," she answered, bowing. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Wow, way too formal!" Rikku exclaimed. Tidus agreed with her.

"She greeted me that way too," Tidus said pointedly. He liked her name though, Yuna. He had never bothered to ask before then and Rikku had done him a favour. He looked at Rikku and smiled gratefully, to which the girl answered with a wink. For some reason, he would usually ask for a girl's name, her number, without a second thought. Yuna though, was naïve. He didn't want her to see him as a guy who just went around dating girls. He didn't want her to have a bad impression of him. At least now he'd have a natural reason for knowing her name.

"I'm so sorry!" Yuna said, bowing again. Tidus took her hand though and pulled her up.

"No need to apologize, Yuna." He liked the way he could speak her name. He looked at Yuna and Rikku then. "It's strange how you two kind of look alike when I put you side by side like this."

Rikku was just about to answer when another voice did before her.

"Rikku, lusa ehceta huf! Ouin crevd ec hud ujan oad yht dra licdusanc yna fyedehk!" a male voice called from inside.

Rikku sighed before turning around and yelling her answer back. "E ys lusehk! Keja sa zicd y caluht. Fro tu oui hyk cu silr, Brother?" She looked back at the two then and then gave Tidus a quick hug, and then to Yuna's surprise, her as well. "Yunie, it's been nice meeting you. Come back again, okay?"

Yuna knew now that the girl was Al Bhed. She chuckled, giving the girl her own surprise. "Ed ryc paah hela saadehk oui duu, Rikku. E femm syga cina du lusa po ykyeh yht dno cusa luvvaa." Yuna hugged her back. She saw Tidus' eyes go wide with shock, and when Rikku pulled back, she saw her eyes widen as well.

"You're Al Bhed?" she asked quietly.

"On my mother's side, yes," Yuna answered her. Rikku smiled softly and then it was with that look that Yuna knew for sure she would attempt to come back, no, she would try her very best too. For some reason, she felt she had a connection with this girl named Rikku, with her bright smile, with her demeanor that seemed to simply soothe all worries, and with the fact that she was everything Rikku was not. This girl seemed outgoing and had a natural affinity for conversation, while Yuna was calm, always apologizing for her faults, never taking any risks, or talking to people the way Rikku did to Tidus. She wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't envious, but she would say that she admired Rikku more.

"Come on," Tidus called to her, "we can see Rikku anytime, alright?" He grinned. He held out his hand which Yuna took without hesitation. When she looked behind her, she saw Rikku had already gone back inside the shop to continue serving more customers. "You speak Al Bhed?"

"A little," Yuna said sadly. "I haven't used it for a long time, not after my mother died when I was very young. My father loved her very much and often watched as she taught me some of the language when she was alive, though, when I do use it now, I know it makes him sad and reminiscent. I don't want to make him sad at all… he says there's no problem, but…"

"I'm sure that it's not really that he's said, but he's probably happy that he still has you, and when he hears you speak Al Bhed, he has your mother as well, right?" Tidus reasoned, trying to make her feel better. He hadn't liked how her face had transformed when she had gotten said, like flowers had withered and left wilted imitations in their wake.

"I hadn't thought about it that way." Yuna chuckled. It was nice walking with Tidus, completely peaceful.

"How do you say 'nice to meet you, pretty girl'?" Tidus grinned, and winked at her.

"Planning to use that on the next girl you meet?" Yuna asked, chuckling.

"Maybe," he answered cryptically and then whistled.

Yuna looked at him once and then laughed again. "This is how you say it: hela du saad oui, bnaddo kenm."

"Well then, I think I'll use it now." Tidus had no idea what made him so bold as to flirt with her so openly, this naïve woman. But her eyes were sensitive, and her lips were pulled into a smile, he couldn't exactly help it, not when she looked at him like that. "Helly deoo seeahah-de ohooee, baenah-de-deoh ke…ken…" He struggled with the last word.

"keaynm, is how it's pronounced!" Yuna exclaimed, laughing. "Your accent needs a little practice, no?" She paused then, and flushed crimson red, realizing that he had just used that line on her, after he had said that he would use it on the next girl he met. And then, she realized she had insulted his ability to speak the Al Bhed language. "Sorry! You'll get better with time, I promise!"

"You're going to help me out, aren't you? Or else, I just might embarrass you by speaking with that terrible accent at the game you come to watch me in, you know? I'll call you out in front of everyone with that accent!" Tidus teased. He grasped her hand tighter in his own.

"If we ever meet again, I promise," Yuna said, somewhat solemnly.

"Hey, we'll meet again, I'm the Star Player of the Zanarkand Abes, so you'll come and watch me play. And, I often hang out at Rikku's coffee joint, so you can find me there as well," Tidus said. "Look at me, okay?" Tidus grinned the largest he could, making a face that could have been classified as a one that a clown would be proud of. "Smile, alright?"

Yuna laughed at him, and then smiled at him. "Yes sir!" It was true, there was a high chance she would meet him during the tournament.

They walked for a while more before they had reached their destination, a beautiful stadium, so large, all lit up, exactly as Yuna had imagined it in her dreams. She wouldn't mind seeing Tidus in a game either in this stadium. This time, instead of hearing about people who would cheer and cheer until they couldn't cheer anymore, she would be the one doing the cheering. And then, Tidus would speak to her in his horrendous Al Bhed accent and they would both laugh. Yuna only wished and hoped that she would see him soon again, hear his laugh, see his smile. She was grateful that he had helped her find this stadium without anything in return.

"Well, I suppose we're here," Tidus said, scratching his head sheepishly. "You know where your old man is from here?"

"I suppose I can find where they are from this point," Yuna explained. They would probably be in the VIP box. Yuna wanted to see her father then; it was strange how she already missed him after not even being apart from him for long. She turned to Tidus and gave him the brightest smile she could muster, ensuring that her deepest gratitude could be sent to him as easily as a letter, that the contents could be read without even the slightest bit of difficulty. "Thank you, Tidus. It has been nice meeting you…" Without looking back, she walked forward to where her father awaited her, trying not to be sad from simply leaving him now, she hardly knew him. Yuna wanted to see Rikku again as well, Tidus and Rikku, and all of his other friends.

"Wait, Yuna!" Tidus called. Yuna looked back at him curiously. He approached her again. "Well, I don't think you're hopeless, but what are you going to do if you get lost again?" Without waiting for her answer, he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. It was high, piercing noise. "This is what Blitzball fans do when they cheer. Here, you try too." He picked up her hand and spread out her individual fingers. "Put your fingers in your mouth like I just did." Yuna did so, flushing all the while. "And then you just blow!"

She blew, but no noise came out. Yuna looked down at the floor, crestfallen.

"Hmm, seems like you can't do it yet, but you'll be able to soon, I know." Tidus nodded. "And, when you can whistle, just do it and I'll come running, okay?" He grinned. "I'll know it was you getting lost again," he teased.

Yuna laughed. "I understand. When you whistle, I'll come running as well, though I can't help it if you get lost." Her voice, he noted, was like tinkling wind chimes, charming and not at all obnoxious. It was sweet, soothing, a beautiful sound. Without another glance at him, she walked inside to wherever her father was waiting for her. Tidus made sure to remember to meet her again; she was more unique than the other girls around Zanarkand, that was certain. He found himself wondering if girls in Bevelle all acted like Yuna did, so polite, overly mannered, poised, and sophisticated.

"Well, it seems that I should go in too," Tidus said to himself, tossing the Blitzball that he held in his left arm absentmindedly. "The guys will be waiting for me."

* * *

_Word Count: 3 263_


	3. The Feeling of Gratitude

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_Hello all, my apologies for the fact that I haven't been updating recently. I will attempt to do so more often. Please enjoy this newest chapter. Any constructive criticism or comments about the story are appreciated._

_As a note, also my apologies for keeping the part with the Zanarkand Duggles quite brief. I need to figure out how to properly build them up, since there is no proper background for their team other than the fact that they play dirty and they also play for Zanarkand. I hope you'll find this chapter satisfactory; there were several aspects of it I was not so happy with. To be honest, I'm not used to so many events and scenes in one chapter. I believe it moved a little too quickly._

* * *

**Chapter 3 - The Feeling of Gratitude**

Yuna embraced her father tightly after she had separated from Tidus, and then Belgemine as well. It wasn't all that difficult to find her way to the VIP box, thankfully. If she had gotten lost, she wouldn't know what to do. After all, she didn't even know how to whistle like the Blitzball fans. She would have been just the same as she had been hours before, on the street, looking helplessly at the surrounding alleys and bustling crowds feeling more lost as time passed by. Thinking about it to herself, she smiled slightly, glad she had met him, hoping she would meet him sometime soon, hoping that she would see him smile and hear his Al Bhed improve over time.

"We were so worried for you, Yuna!" Braska exclaimed, holding his little girl tightly to himself. "I cannot believe we were separated like that." He did feel for those hours, that his heart was torn to shreds. His only family, his Yuna had gone missing because of an error completely preventable. He didn't know if he'd ever felt so lost, so empty, as horrifying it would be when a man realized he had nothing, that he had become penniless and had no family at all, all alone. Not since his wife had died, not since then. She, in the Farplane, would have never forgiven him if Yuna had been hurt or whisked away. He wouldn't have forgiven himself, he still didn't.

When Yuna looked upon her father for the first time since her absence, she noticed he looked weary despite them being apart only for a short period of time. He frowned and when he had embraced her with such relief, yet such heartbreaking agony, she felt her neck become damp. Then, she knew, her father was spilling tears for her. Yuna had always known how much he had cared for her, always, and felt grateful that she had been born with such a caring parent to love her.

"I'm sorry, Father, for making you worry so…" she whispered, tightly hugging her father back, sending through it all her gratitude to him, all her regret. Yuna wouldn't be surprised if she had started to cry as well then.

"Your father was very worried for you, young lady. Though, it was my fault. I should have kept a better eye on you, Yuna," Belgemine said, stroking Yuna's hair softly, an oddly focused look upon her face.

Yuna was also grateful for Belgemine. While no one could ever replace her own mother, Belgemine was motherly and cared for her like her own child. Yuna knew she could always rely on her, always know that she cared for her and would train her to be the best Summoner the world had ever seen. Belgemine had been quite talented in the day. Yuna only hoped that her own meagre talent would be enough to keep the woman proud of her, even though she knew that if it so happened that she wasn't up to par, the woman would still love her.

"I'm sorry… it was all my fault. Please don't take the blame for my own misconduct," Yuna said softly, clasping her hands together, bowing deeply to show all her regret for her actions to the woman, not raising her head, remaining submissive.

"Yuna, I am glad you're safe," Belgemine whispered and embraced her tightly. Braska looked upon the seen with a serene smile set upon his face, like all the burden had lifted from his shoulders. Yuna embraced her as well, hoping that tears wouldn't fall from seeing the worry that both Belgemine and her father had shown her.

Yuna was happy she was loved like this…

* * *

Tidus sighed, knowing he would have to go inside the Blitzball Stadium soon enough in order to see Maester Mika, like all the other teams had to, or rather the captains did. It was the traditional way to kick off the Blitzball tournaments. Tidus remembered, earlier on in the day, his own frustration. Cetan, the Zanarkand Abes captain, had called him up sounding terribly ill, clearly blowing his nose while talking to him, probably with an old sullied tissue as sick people often tended to do. Tidus grimaced as he envisioned the male on his own bed, a tissue box on his nightstand, several stuffed up his nostrils and his eyes red and bloodshot. It wasn't a pretty scene.

"Tidus, sorry to call you up like this," he said, his voice hoarse. He sneezed then, an awful large one. "Man, that was a big one. 'Scuse me."

"Bless you," Tidus said, in a rare display of fine etiquette.

"Thanks," he muttered, then he blew his nose. "Well anyway, the team captains are all supposed to meet Maester Mika today for the Blitz tournament. As you can see, I'm awful sick." He hesitated for a moment, wondering if a sneeze was coming upon him, and then after several moments sneezed again, directly into the phone. Tidus thought it sounded rather like the phone line did when it was breaking.

"You want me to go in your place, don't you?" Tidus said, not particularly frustrated at that point. He twirled his hairbrush in one hand, debating over whether or not he should get ready.

"Well, yeah. You're the Star Player, so you won't really make a bad impression." Cetan sneezed again. "Thanks, Ti'. I can always count on you for being a good sport."

"No problem, just get better soon, 'kay?" Tidus said, honestly. He didn't like to see people ill, or know they were.

"Thanks so much!" Cetan said gratefully. Then Tidus heard something suspicious on the other end of the line: 'Hey baby, why don't you get off the phone now, it's done, isn't it?' in a sensual voice, it sounded like. Tidus narrowed his eyes, the voice sounded familiar, terribly familiar. Then, he had an epiphany.

"Wait, what the hell is _Dona _doing at your place?" he asked slowly.

Dona was his ex-girlfriend, a dark skinned, exotic island beauty. Tidus admitted that might have been the reason he liked her at first. It was most definitely a fling. He remembered the old days when she'd display her dominance over him, somewhat like an Amazonian woman, demanding this and that. He obliged, turning into little more than a puppy licking his master's feet. After realizing that when talking to Rikku, he broke up with her, and felt relief like he never had before. Now, he wasn't particularly offended that Dona had gone running to Cetan, but when the man was _ill _and asking a favour of him. No, he was pissed at _Cetan._

"Shit, hang up the phone now!" Dona whispered, all too loudly actually. There was scrambling on the other end of the line. Tidus heard Cetan sneeze once during the whole ordeal.

"Hey, wait one second-" Tidus protested, but it was too late. Holding the phone to his ear, he heard it go back to dial-tone. He looked blankly at his wall for a second before deciding he would do Cetan this favour, but he wouldn't let this matter go. "Stupid Dona, knowing her, she probably convinced him to lay the responsibility on me!" And it was probably true. Dona had never taken it well that they'd broken up. It might've been another scheme to annoy the living daylights out of him, revenge of sorts. "Why did I go out with her?" he moaned.

So that was how he found himself walking towards the Blitzball Stadium, and then after running into a mob of fans, running into the innocent, proper and poised girl Yuna, from Bevelle. The 'bnaddo kenm', he thought almost proudly because of his small progress in the language of Al Bhed. In a way though, despite feeling incredible amounts of vexation because of Dona, he was thankful, because he believed those three years ago when he had made the idiotic decision to go out with her, and ultimately broke up with her, he met Yuna. Tidus didn't often believe fate, but in this case whatever force was out there seemed to work in his favour. It was because of Dona's apparent meddling and her running to Cetan which had caused him to meet Yuna.

He never thought it was possible to enjoy such a simple walk to the Blitzball Stadium so much, or enjoy the company of a person so much. Seeing Yuna and talking to her melted away all his previous frustrations. He felt like a flustered schoolboy again when Rikku had told her about his 'flooozies', and felt such happiness when she taught him Al Bhed. And, despite him trying to keep a smile on his face, trying to lengthen the moment for just a little while…

"_This is what Blitzball fans do when they cheer. Here, you try too." _

He remembered teaching her how to whistle and seeing her put out look, similar to flowers when it rained too much and they felt the weight on their petals, vibrant but shaken just a little, not as content and relaxed, but just as beautiful.

Smiling to himself as he walked, whistling a child's tune to the beat of his footsteps, he hoped he would see her again soon. After all, like he had told her, he wasn't all that hard to find.

* * *

"Welcome all Blitzball teams," Mika greeted, sitting on an ornate chair that could only be compared to a throne used by the kings and queens of old. His eyes scanned the room before he announced the teams. When Tidus looked beside Mika, he noticed a man who could only be Summoner Braska; he looked as tranquil as Tidus felt on nice summer days with just the right amount of breeze to keep the sweltering heat away, the times when he could simply sit down, reminisce to himself about all the times he felt content within his lifetime. Tidus felt strangely comforted by this man, although he barely knew him, only what little a regular citizen would find from news articles.

"Today we have the Al Bhed Psyches," he announced first, gesturing to the man standing to the far right in the row. He calmly nodded, not knowing English, and fixed his goggles quietly.

"The Guado Glories," he gestured to another man, clearly Guado, who took little interest in what he had to say, the captain of the Guado Glories.

"The Kilika Beasts." The man was an islander, dark skin, wearing an eyepatch. Though, the fact he was an islander alone, and the fact he didn't exhibit the normal almost arrogant confidence that Blitzball Players often did, reminded Tidus oddly of his friend Wakka.

"The Luca Goers." This was the attitude he thought of. The red haired man exhibited an almost diva-like persona, and clearly thought he was much better than every other player. It was people like him which made him, sometimes dislike playing Blitzball, when people never enjoyed it for passion, but merely for fame. Tidus often felt satisfied when he beat people like that, crushed their confidence enough to bring them back down to earth.

"The Ronso Fangs." The Ronso captain was incredibly tall, and muscular, as most Ronso tended to be. He wore no expression on his face; Tidus sometimes wondered whether Ronso couldn't smile.

"The Zanarkand Duggles." It was the team that Tidus disliked the most. The other team that played for Zanarkand fought dirty. The Abes were a much more honest team and played them fair and square. He remembered a couple years ago, during a match, one of the Duggle players injured an Abes player, Kiryl, so that he wouldn't be able to play. Tidus resented them for it, ever since.

"And lastly," Mika announced, "the Zanarkand Abes." Tidus immediately straightened, ensuring he would make a good impression on Maester Mika. He looked at all the captains for a moment before speaking again. "Many great team captains have gathered here today. You will all receive your blessings."

Braska looked toward the doorway for a minute and then smiled softly. Tidus followed his gaze. It opened, and in walked someone he wouldn't have expected to see so soon. His eyes widened when he saw her, garbed in simply flowing garments of white, like a kind of priestess. In her hands she held garlands of flowers strung together, flowers of the lightest shades of pink and others of white. Judging by the stain of pink which engulfed the apples of her cheeks, similar to how tea spread when spilt on tablecloth slowly, she didn't know she would see him either. She averted her eyes shyly, and Tidus noticed then that one was blue, and the other green, baffling, but it never detracted from her charm.

Tidus who truly couldn't stop his motor of a mouth sometimes, was about to speak, up until he saw Yuna place one finger to her lips, then smiled, a gesture to tell him to speak later.

"Lady Yuna, daughter of Summoner Braska, will place these garlands around the neck of each team representative. They have been blessed with holy water and will be my gift to you, my desire to see you all do well," Mika explained, then gestured for Yuna to go forth. Tidus was surprised to learn the girl he had met on the street merely hours ago was akin to an idol by many people in Spira. Braska's daughter, he could believe it. They seemed to have the same temperament.

Yuna looked around timidly, almost like a frightened rabbit, at each team captain. She started from the Al Bhed Psyches. The man lowered his head and she placed the garland around his neck slowly. He nodded at her, a kind gesture, much less intimidating than she thought he would be. Then she moved on to the Guado Glories Captain, placing it around his neck, noticing he looked at the wall, never at her face. Shrugging, she did the same to the Kilika Beasts Captain, feeling marginally more relaxed. The man looked friendly. Then it was the Luca Goers, and Yuna swore her hair was standing on end.

"Hey, Lady Yuna, want to go out on a date later?" the male whispered, smirking. Yuna quickly put the garland on him and moved on, but he grabbed her hand. "What're you running away from, hun?" Snickering, he didn't pursue her any further though, besides leaving something in her palm. When Yuna, baffled, unclenched her fists, she found it was a phone number on the back of a business card of some kind. She flushed, and ignored the man for the rest of the time.

"Who said we need any blessings?" said the Zanarkand Duggles Captain, scowling at her. Yuna could see Tidus glaring at him. She hurriedly put the garland on him and was about to walk toward Tidus when she tripped. The Duggles Captain had stuck out his foot.

Yuna squeaked, frightened and surprised as she began to tumble forward. She shut her eyes tightly, and then, didn't fall. Tidus had caught her.

"You okay?" he asked, flashing her a bright grin. He leant down then and whispered in her ear. "Those Duggles aren't the nicest guys around. I'll beat them in the tournament, don't you worry." He had flashed her a grin because he didn't want her to be intimidated, when inwardly, he was seething, having to witness the Duggles trip innocent, childlike Yuna, of all people: Yuna who, from what little he knew of her, probably wouldn't hurt a fly.

She smiled at him then, a small bashful smile, as he assisted her to get to her feet. She put the garland around his neck, her fingers lightly grazing his neck as she did so.

"Thank you," she mouthed. "I'll cheer for your team."

Tidus sheepishly scratched his neck. He wondered then why her smile made it feel like dainty butterflies fluttered around his stomach from top to bottom, every square centimetre of room they could find. It felt strange, but never unpleasant. It made him feel content, relaxed.

* * *

The blessings ended and the team captains all went home. Yuna looked at him then, like she wanted to say something. She walked up to him then and gave him a small smile. Tidus wondered what she had to say. He was about to leave merely minutes before, but then, just by simply seeing her smile, seeing her happy, all thoughts of leaving were erased, like a new layer of white acrylic paint on top of a dry, finished painting.

"I would like you to meet my father, to thank you for earlier today," she said, averting her eyes from his own. "I want him to know how grateful I am for you helping me."

He chuckled at that, but would like it if she met his eyes. "You sure?" he asked though, wondering if he heard right. To meet Summoner Braska was a high honour, especially with everything he did for Spira. Tidus remembered hearing about him as a little boy, hearing about him helping the sick, poor and injured, donating sums of gil, assisting the homeless and tending to those crippled from war. He was a philanthropist through and through. Sometimes, Tidus remembered wishing his own father was the same way, not the arrogant drunkard he was most of the time back then. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be okay with you introducing him to a regular old Blitzball player. It's probably frowned upon by people like you."

"No, no!" she protested. "My father wouldn't mind. He supported me when I came here. He knows how much I love Blitzball, and I know he'll think you're a wonderful person!"

Tidus was glowing. "Alright then, lead the way."

* * *

Yuna hadn't known what made her decide to introduce him to her father, though she felt relaxed all the while. Her father was a kind man, she knew. But, she also understood how Tidus felt. Back in Bevelle, many of those deep within the religious sect of Yevon had adopted arrogance, a thought that they were superior, they were god's disciples. Yuna hadn't enjoyed watching them walk past the poor with their noses upturned high in the air, sending a silent message that they didn't even wish to share the same air as those lesser beings than they. Then they would talk to Yuna, treat her so differently, fawn and dote on her despite the nasty behavior she saw them exhibit only moments before. When she was young, she didn't know, but then with time's passing, she learned it was because she was Braska's daughter.

The people of Bevelle loved Braska, adored him, though she hadn't the foggiest idea why, what with how they acted, their painted masks. They would sit around a table eating snacks and would talk about all the wonderful things he had done for the people of Spira, how much he had given, especially after the death of his late wife, Yuna's mother. Their voices would contain such sorrow, such _sympathy _but then, Yuna could always sense a false tone to it, one ingredient not at all genuine or sincere. It was because they pretended, they followed the herd because everyone else liked Braska, because Maester Mika liked Braska and they would like to be in his favour. They truly didn't care about the poor or the injured or the homeless, crippled, or unfortunate, they hardly cared about each other. The admiration they held for Braska was false, Braska, one of the few genuine and sincere people who lived in Bevelle, she was ashamed to realize then.

Braska's hands were clenched around the railing as he looked at the Sphere Pool. That was how Yuna found him, seemingly looking at the pool, but not really. Where he was truly looking, Yuna wouldn't know. She wondered if he was thinking about her mother. He often did, and tried to hide it. Yuna could still see that her death hit him hard; how hard he tried to be a good parent to her, to not show her his suffering.

She wondered if him meeting Tidus would make him forget about the pain for a little while at least, as conversing with others so often did for him. Yuna wanted his pain to disappear; she didn't want him to pretend to be fine in front of her. It made her hurt too.

* * *

_Words 3 408_


	4. Envy

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_Hello everybody. Hope you enjoy this new chapter of the story. All comments and constructive criticism appreciated. My apologies for the late update._

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Envy**

Yuna called out to her reminiscing father softly, almost in fear that if she were to call him too loudly, he would shatter before her very eyes. The sorrow that loomed over him seemed to become heavier as time passed, more burdensome, and Yuna could understand why. No matter how he wished her mother was alive, she wasn't. No matter how he reached in desperation for her, she wouldn't come back. She would remain like that, just a soft whisper upon the wind, a memory. Braska didn't want to forget, never would, but even though she was proud of him for this, along with his decision to remember came pain – Braska's sorrow would grow, his tears would dry up and cease to fall, leaving an irreparable man. Yuna knew she was one of the few joys left for him in Spira, and she vowed to make him happy. Yuna knew her mother wouldn't have liked to see him so lost, so utterly broken, like he seemed to be now. It would spread to her spirit like a disease, and then to Yuna who was quite alive. Yuna would be broken because she would mourn for her father; her mother's spirit would do the same.

"Father," Yuna told him, tapping him on the shoulder lightly, waking him from his spiritual slumber, "I wanted to introduce you to someone." When Braska turned around and looked at her, he made certain that a smile would be on his features to welcome his little girl. Yuna answered in return. "This person helped me very much."

Tidus shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. He felt slightly out of place. Despite the smiles that the two individuals gave to each other, he knew there was sadness that was far greater than the average person had to endure over life. The way he saw Braska look at the Sphere Pool confirmed it. Tidus himself remembered when he had felt insignificant because of his father's fame, and his father's arrogance. He had looked through the Sphere Pool in almost a mirrored way, a flawless replica, just like Braska had done. He wasn't certain why, to this day, the rippling water on the surface calmed his nerves and created an almost tranquil bubble around him, purging all negative feelings. "Uh, howdy," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his blonde locks.

"Tidus… he helped me when I had gotten separated from you. He helped me find my way back," Yuna explained to the curious glance of her father. "If not for him, I wouldn't be with you. He is the Star Player of the Zanarkand Abes, Father!" Yuna was excited. Her face seemed to glow and Tidus felt his stomach perform a few flips, lurching that couldn't be blamed on nausea – or perhaps it could. Cetan had gotten him ill somehow, probably.

"I know, Yuna. I saw him today," Braska said, chuckling. He smiled at Tidus then, one that reminded him so much of Yuna's smile. It was one thing she had most definitely inherited from her father, that saintly smile filled to the brim with innocence. "I would like to thank you for showing my daughter the way. If I had lost her, I wouldn't know what to do." His voice seemed to gain such a minor key undertone that Tidus seemed to understand that if Yuna had been lost, Braska would have been lost as well. They were tied not only by blood, but by the unbreakable bonds of fate and connection, whatever affected one, would ultimately affect the other. "Thank you," he all but whispered. And, so unbefitting of his superior position, he bowed down low to Tidus, making the other male so shocked, his jaw slackened. "I am so happy that you have cared for my daughter and brought her back to me."

"It's no biggie," Tidus said, awed, embarrassed, guilty that someone like him had someone like Braska bowing down to him. That and when he looked at Yuna, she seemed so sad that her father bowed before him, it showed in her eyes, in her tight lips. Or maybe she was just sad that she had caused her father to worry. For someone so transparent, Yuna could be a mystery, Tidus realized. "No need to bow, I was happy to help. Any good person would've done the same." He said this softly, realizing, like Yuna, that her father was truly quite fragile, not really the strong, unbreakable figure he seemed to be when he was untouchable and unreachable.

Braska rose then. "No, I was only right to bow. You have no idea… my daughter is my world, and without her, my existence would be meaningless."

Tidus was almost envious about how easily this man spoke his feelings with such sincerity to a male he barely knew. He could see that trait in Yuna too, in her smile, in her laugh, from her interactions with Braska, and himself. He was envious that they had this kind of relationship, the kind with such selfless, devoted love. Although his own relationship with his father had improved drastically in the past years, the affection there was as brittle as uncooked spaghetti when compared to Yuna and Braska. And Tidus, his mother wouldn't even look at him whenever his old man was about – it sickened him, and he was bitter. No matter how much he loved his mother, when his father was there, he stole the limelight and Tidus was all but a shadow invisible to the woman.

"I'm glad I could help – Yuna is definitely a very special girl, you know?" Tidus told him honestly. He could see Yuna flush prettily when he said that, it oddly made his ego grow a little, enough for a smug grin at the very least. "She was really kind to me as well. I was lucky to meet her. Plus, it wasn't all that out of the way for me to help her. I enjoyed the walk – time passed a little too fast," he admitted sheepishly. It was the first time he'd ever said aloud how much he'd enjoyed talking to her that day.

Yuna looked almost affronted. "Father, he's truly selling himself short! He didn't have to take time out of his busy schedule to help me, but he did. I was nice to him, but wouldn't anyone be in that situation?" She clasped her hands and looked down at her feet. "He introduced me to one of his good friends, Rikku, who works at a café. She was a very nice girl, and he treated me like a good friend too!"

Tidus could almost put a tomato to shame with the colour he was turning, and it truly wasn't like him to ever blush this much. Yuna seemed to transform confident, flirty Tidus into an awkward, clumsy schoolboy. With Dona, Tidus almost remorsefully recounted, he had never, ever been as shy as he was with Yuna. He was vivacious, the life of the party, not _this. _It made him almost ashamed to admit he could never be that way around her – Yuna brought out the honest Tidus, not the façade he portrayed to others, who he really was. "Yuna…"

"Well, I can see you're an honest person, and my daughter seems to truly like you. I am grateful for what you did, there is no need to sell yourself short like Yuna said," Braska said chuckling. "And, Yuna," he said, and the girl looked up curiously at him, "I'm glad you have earned some friends. I know I haven't been the most attentive father, keeping you up in Bevelle with no one to talk to… I am glad it has changed and that you can now talk to more people your age," he whispered. Yuna felt a wave of affection for her father then, a torrent within her that amplified all the memories she recounted with her father, the emotions she felt, the happiness, the sympathy, and the thought that he didn't know what he was talking about at all. Braska was selling himself short as well – he was a wonderful father, and one that most people would be burning with jealousy to have even a replica of.

"You are the most _wonderful_ father I could have ever asked for," Yuna muttered so quietly, she was unsure if he had heard. She averted her eyes, for a reason she was blind to, not wanting to see his facial expression, to see how he looked at her.

His tone of voice was sweeter, more loving than any tone of voice she'd heard him use in a long time. "Thank you, Yuna. It means much to me."

Tidus didn't want to interrupt them – he felt left out, almost like he couldn't touch their world. It was built only for those two. But he had no desire to. He knew that their relationship was one that was extremely rare. But again he felt envious. Again he only wished that his father were similar.

* * *

Tidus sat in the _Machina_ after his meeting with Braska. It had ended with father and daughter giving him a goodbye with matching smiles. Tidus had given them a farewell as well before heading over to the _Machina_. Now that the shock had worn off, his ability to remain pissed off at Cetan returned with a burning vengeance. And Yuna, he wouldn't be lying if he said he didn't want to see her soon. And Braska, really made him angry at his own dad, that might've been the main reason for anything that was eating him up inside. He sighed, holding his frothing pint closer to himself – he had never really been a fan of fancy drinks.

"Tidus, fryd dra ramm?" a voice said behind him, surprised. When he turned around in his bar stool, he noticed it was Rikku, staring at him, wondering why he was back so soon. "Sorry, startled me." Rikku often did revert back to Al Bhed when she was startled. "Why are you back so soon? Girl troubles?" She grinned slyly before collapsing on the seat next to him, eager to listen like a child being read a bedtime story. She rested her chin on her hands, her elbows supporting them on the counter.

"Why do you want to listen to my problems so bad?" Tidus asked, scowling. When her grin only widened, he sighed in submission. "You know that Cetan sent me to the meeting for Blitz captains, right?" Rikku nodded in confirmation. "I found out that the girl you met earlier, Yuna, she's the daughter of Braska."

Rikku whistled. "You really know how to pick them, Tidus." She saw then, the look on his face, a little forlorn. "You met Braska then? Are you envious about their situation?"

That was the thing about Rikku. He wasn't sure how, or why, but she could always read him like an open book. Tidus felt more at home with her than he did in his literal house, or his parents' house. Rikku was almost like the little sister he never had. When Tidus had no one to talk to all those years ago, when his old man wasn't the nicest, when his mother paid little to no attention to him, he found Rikku. Now, he could talk to her about anything. For some reason though, sitting like this with Rikku, her comforting presence also reminded him of Yuna. "Yeah, you really know me, huh?" He took another sip of his drink.

"Not everyone's situation that seems really good, is, you know?" Rikku explained to him softly. When Tidus looked at her questioningly, she continued. "Well, I heard that Lord Braska's wife died a long time ago; imagine how he must've felt. And, that event must've brought Yuna and her father closer together, 'cause they're all that they've got left. What you see now is only because of the tragedy that happened – it's not all happy." Rikku looked glum as she explained this. Tidus was always surprised when he heard her being insightful. "What Yuna has is a broken father, no? One who cares for her a lot though, so I know why you're jealous." A silence followed this. Suddenly, Tidus felt ashamed for all his jealousy, his burning envy; Yuna may have had a great father, but she had lost her mother. He still had his, sort of. Rikku continued, "But, you don't really have time to mope around, do you? The tournament is soon! You're good at Blitzball – you care for Yuna so show off to her."

"Their family must've been… really happy before. Her mom and dad must've been really happy together," Tidus mused as he took another drink. He looked at her then, "Thanks, Rikku. You're right, I don't have time to cry right now – I have to win against those stupid Duggles." Surprisingly, she always knew the words to make him feel better. Of course, he still wished he had someone like Braska as a father, someone kind and caring, but it was something that wasn't going to change. He just had to be strong for the tournament – and show off for Yuna, though he'd never admit it to Rikku. Yuna was definitely more than cute. He couldn't help but think: what if she came onto him? He shook away the thought with a laugh – innocent Yuna, no way.

"No problem, you can always count on me, you know that!" Rikku grinned.

"Rikku, kad pylg du fung, oui cmylgan! Oui tuh'd kud yho desa du pa fycdehk ed! Cu, rinno yht cdynd canjehk dra kuttyshat licdusanc!" an extremely loud voice exclaimed. It could only be Rikku's eccentric dad, Cid. Now there was a dad that Tidus was glad he didn't have, he thought snickering.

"Lusehk, umt syh! Fro tu oui ryja du pa cilr y sayhea?" Rikku moaned, and was just one step away from bashing her head on the table. She turned to Tidus, a frown marring her features. "Work calls, Tidus. Come back anytime, though." She got up from her seat and was prepared to go receive orders from her father.

"Work hard then, princess," Tidus said, grinning, "make me proud and I might just go on a date with you." He ruffled her hair then and was pleased to get a frustrated reaction out of her. Rikku was always the best person to rile up. When they met all those years ago, it wasn't so hard to tell that she liked him a bit more than a friend would, though she did outgrow it pretty quickly. Tidus still found ways to tease her about it though, even if her affections were now aimed toward her strange, playboy-esque childhood friend, Gippal.

"Stop treating me like an idiot, you… you big meanie!" Rikku huffed and walked off, her nose high in the air. She turned back toward him then, just for a minute to give him a sinister grin. "Oh, just for that, the drink's not on the house."

"You got it." Tidus sighed and got out his change. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to piss off Rikku for fun.

* * *

"Oh, look who's here, it's my teammate," Tidus exclaimed dryly, though thoroughly annoyed. The next day, almost immediately after Tidus had woken up, there was a tap of his doorbell. It was an annoyance, and he thanked his own common sense that he didn't get drunk the night before or else his hangover would have been killer. What a sight it was to open that door and see Cetan, still obviously ill, at least he hadn't been lying about that, looking pretty apologetic. Normally a well dressed person, he opted for ratty old sweatpants and a tank top, and with the headband around his brown hair, keeping his bangs away from his face, he looked precisely like those thirty year olds still living in their parents' basements. Tidus wasn't going to accept any apologies so soon, not for an idiot who invites a girlfriend over to have fun while he's sick, leaving all the work to him. No way. Though he did find it funny to see the tissues stuffed up Cetan's nose, just like he'd imagined it. He looked quite sloppy, to say the least.

"Sorry about that, 'Ti, I didn't mean to leave all the work to you. You can tell I'm sick though, I wasn't lying about that," Cetan said, no almost begged. "You can't fault me for this, can you?"

"Why can't I blame you? Inviting _her_ over to have some fun while leaving me with the work – you idiot, who made you captain? Let me at him," Tidus said, glowering. Nonetheless, Cetan all but pushed passed him and made himself at home in Tidus' flat.

"You can't blame me because you did the same thing a long time ago," Cetan said, smirking, arms crossed. The 'cool' effect was all but ruined because of the snot running down his nose. Tidus looked at him, repulsed. "You know how sexy Dona can be, you did the same thing, and therefore you can't fault me for it, so there!" He looked awful proud of himself.

"Her being _sexy_," Tidus said with disgust, "is not a reason for you to push work onto me. Plus, now that I think about it," he said while shutting the door behind him, "she isn't all that great looking, not compared to…" He flushed red like a tomato, and then wondered why he was about to say what he was. Dona could be incredibly sensual, it's that her charm wore off quick. Yuna was much better looking, really cute, was what Tidus couldn't help but think.

"Well, to each his own, but I think Dona's the hottest of them all – you had pretty good taste choosing her, 'Ti," Cetan said, shrugging. "Though I am pretty curious about who the new girl you've chosen is. She's probably a real babe if she's got your attention." He spaced out then, probably imagining some blonde, incredibly well-endowed bombshell. Hormones really owned a man, Tidus admitted.

He thought then about when Cetan had said. The first part, he completely disagreed with – Dona was not a good person to date in any way, shape, or form. And Yuna being a 'real babe' just made him want to collapse in laughter. No, she was too good for that. Being a 'real babe' would mean that she'd be remotely similar to Dona, which she wasn't, not by a long shot. She wasn't even on the same totem pole, and was probably more than a hundred times sweeter, more compassionate, caring, innocent, and much, much, much cuter. Anyone with eyes could see that. Tidus definitely did, the first time he saw Yuna. Tidus wondered when he became such a sap, but it was easy to see he had a soft spot for her, though she wasn't the 'new girl' he'd chosen. He wanted to become friends with her.

"Not really a babe, but…" Tidus said absentmindedly. He turned to Cetan for a minute and realized the man was rummaging through his fridge before reaching for a six pack of beer. "Dude, what the hell," Tidus exclaimed and grabbed the pack of beer. "You're acting like my old man."

"Well it isn't a real insult to be compared to Jecht, World Class Blitzball player," Cetan answered and grabbed the pack back, ripping one can away from the others, hurriedly snapping it open by the tab, watching it fizzle. He took a huge gulp. "Don't you want a can too?" he said, almost offering Tidus' own cans of beer to him, before collapsing on his loveseat. "Make yourself at home." Well of course Cetan never knew that Tidus' father was a chronic alcoholic and pest. He would feel insulted then if he did know. He didn't try to get his teammates involved in his personal life, though if they knew anything, he wouldn't particularly care. He just liked them a lot more in the Sphere Pool than on his own couch acting like they owned the place.

Tidus sighed. "Fine, whatever." He snapped one can open and put the rest back in the refrigerator. He even wondered why he tried to reason with Cetan, no one could. He turned on the television and watched it, realizing slowly that it was a biography on legendary Blitzball players. The first face that popped up was his own father's, and Tidus cursed his own luck as they sang praises for him and his godly talent in the Sphere Pool. "Damn, my luck sucks."

Cetan, took another sip of his beer. Tidus wondered nonchalantly, how much money he was actually spending on beer for Cetan and his father? Probably a number he wouldn't want to ponder on any longer than necessary. "Oh, 'Ti, does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Tidus didn't grace him with an answer, still wanting to be annoyed with him, but too tired to do so. He wondered then what advice Rikku could give him on dealing with the guy – he was such a pain in the ass.

* * *

_Words: 3 525_

_I realized it was a pain not having any Al Bhed translations, so I'll do it here and then edit for my previous chapters. Here you are:_

_**Al Bhed Translations:**_

_"Tidus, fryd dra ramm?/ Tidus, what the hell?_

_Rikku, kad pylg du fung, oui cmylgan! Oui tuh'd kud yho desa du pa fycdehk ed! Cu, rinno yht cdynd canjehk dra kuttyshat licdusanc!/ Rikku, get back to work, you slacker! You don't got any time to be wasting it! So, hurry and start serving the goddamned customers!_

_ Lusehk, umt syh! Fro tu oui ryja du pa cilr y sayhea?/ Coming, old man! Why do you have to be such a meanie?_


	5. Thump

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_Hello everyone. I finally managed to finish this chapter. I hope you all enjoy. Any constructive criticism or comments about the chapter are appreciated._

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Thump**

Yuna looked at her small map carefully, navigating the streets of Zanarkand, bumping into the numerous people and apologizing sheepishly, attempting to find her way to a particular destination. She didn't know what it was really, but these last few days while she had been studying summoning with Belgemine, she felt lost, as if all the energy from within her had simply dissolved, dispersed to some far off land, never to be seen again. Then, when she would lie in her bed, dazedly looking at her ceiling, she would remember Tidus and Rikku, those she had met in Zanarkand. And she wanted to see them again, but _why, _she was uncertain. Perhaps it was because Tidus was her only real connection to Zanarkand, and therefore, to see the outside world. That's what she thought, at least.

Whenever Tidus smiled, she felt her heart go _thump _and the smile would then form on her own face, almost effortlessly. Rikku too, she smiled for. It seemed that Tidus attracted glowing people to himself, those who made others smile, and those whose smiles were contagious.

"Yunie, over here!" a voice called. Yuna looked up from her map from a moment and noticed Rikku waving her hands around frantically. Surprised, Yuna made her way over. "Hey, Yunie, what're you doing here?" she asked with childish curiosity, wearing that same happy grin that no one in Bevelle seemed to ever wear.

"I was looking for the _Machina_," Yuna said nervously. Her cheeks turned red and her heart went _thump, thump, thump_ at the risks of what she was asking. If she may be met Tidus there, would he shun her away, wondering why she was there, thinking she was a complete nutcase – someone who had a serious screw loose? She would think so if she were Tidus, or if she were Rikku for that matter.

Rikku, spotting her blush, smirked slyly. "So… it couldn't really be 'cause of Tidus, could it?" Her wide-eyed, innocent look couldn't possibly be truthful. It made Yuna flush even more.

"I wanted to see _both_ of you again…" Yuna said softly, looking at her feet. "You two are my connections to Zanarkand, my new friends. I want to get to know you both better."

"Yunie," Rikku said softly in mild surprise. It was so honest, completely innocent, that it pulled at her heartstrings. She placed her hands on Yuna's shoulders and looked at her, completely focused. "I'm happy to know you as well, you know? Come to the _Machina_ anytime, we'll be happy to see you!" She looked around for a moment before chuckling. "But, we are going the wrong way for that, Yunie." Yuna cocked her head in confusion. "Our shop is the other way!"

Yuna blushed and mumbled a soft, "Oh," before they walked off, arm in arm, towards the _Machina_.

* * *

After a short, but pleasant walk, they reached the quaint café. Yuna was looking forward to seeing it on the inside. It still had that homey feel that Tidus spoke of, that appeal which whispered elation and sweet honey in the air. The smell of desserts wafted in the air, chocolate, vanilla, and a variety of Al Bhed treats that Yuna's mother had let her try, but she had not cared to remember the name of. It reminded her of home, not now, but back when her mother was alive and well, back when her father had been a full man, not broken beyond belief. It reminded her of their perfect family.

"Tidus should be in there," Rikku told her, keeping her hands on Yuna's back. "Go get him!" After giving her a quick shove towards the entrance and looking at Yuna's flustered expression, she gave her a small wave. "I have to go work, or else Cid'll blow a gasket again. Enjoy your date!"

Before Yuna could tell her that it was in no way a date, she disappeared from view. So she walked in then, to the store. It was dark, but homey, dimly lit, creating a pleasant ambiance. It was there she saw him, sitting at the bar, nursing a beer that he held close to him, looking worse for wear. He looked exhausted, heavy, deep set bags lay under his eyes, and he looked rather dazed. Tidus, the man she was looking for, for even a reason she was completely unaware of. Many of the customers seemed familiar with him coming here, staring at him in manners which couldn't even be thought of as subtle.

"Tidus?" she called quietly, approaching him. "It's nice to see you again."

And, snapping out of his stupor, he looked at her, a smile slowly lighting his features. "Yuna! What're you doing here?" He couldn't deny at all that seeing her made his heart bounce to a new rhythm, _thump, thump, thump, _about twice as fast as normal. Had she come here to see him? He highly doubted it, but regardless he was glad to see her. He was using alcohol to wipe away the annoyance that was Cetan who'd conked out on his couch after drinking an extortionate amount the day before. Then, to make things worse, Dona had come over to see how he was. As usual, they'd gotten into a spat, and then it was revealed that Dona, while she'd been with Tidus, had been cheating on him with Cetan the whole time – no wonder she'd gone straight to him when Tidus had broken up with her. Although he never loved Dona, it was still infuriating to know that she'd been with his teammate when they'd been together.

"I… I wanted to see you and Rikku," she said, blushing, looking at her feet. She took a seat shyly next to him on another barstool.

"You… wanted to see me?" he repeated, shocked. He ignored the fact that she did say 'I wanted to see you _and _Rikku'. He grinned then, previous annoyance all melted away because of this one woman. He rested his chin on his hand and then looked at her. "I won't lie; I wanted to see you as well." He wondered when he'd gotten so brave with her; so much that he'd be able to tell her something so true, something that was from deep within him.

That made her flush even more. Tidus couldn't help but think she was, dare he say it, utterly adorable.  
"Thank you…" And she smiled at him, which in turn, made butterflies flutter around his stomach. He wondered how he'd gotten so brave, why this feeling was pooling in his stomach, and then decided to blame it on the alcohol. Anything he did this day would be blamed on alcohol, he thought decisively, including when he moved his hand and decided to sling it around her shoulder casually. It was the alcohol – that's all it was. It meant nothing more. She stiffened immediately and could feel the blood pulsing through her quickly, torrents of adrenaline.

"Tidus, you dog! Already making a move, I see," Rikku stated loudly from behind them, holding a tray of drinks in her hands she needed to give to customers. When Tidus looked around him, he noticed many of them were staring at him and Yuna. He wondered when he became such a spectacle, such a form of entertainment for the regular citizen in Zanarkand. Though, he supposed it also had something to do with the fact that he was a famous Blitzer. They would have certainly observed his old man if he'd been in this joint as well, that he could guarantee.

"Rikku, I'm not making any move," Tidus retorted, frowning. "Stop making me sound like such a… bad guy," he said lamely, not quite knowing what word to use. "Stop making me sound like such a pimp. I'm not, alright?" He couldn't help but think that he repeated the same thing over again. Perhaps it was taking its toll to be sitting in the bar for extended periods of time. He hadn't noticed how much he'd drank, but it didn't seem to be all that much. But, he _was _drinking strong Al Bhed booze, so that might've also been it. Actually, no way, he couldn't even admit he was slightly inebriated.

"Alright, alright already!" Rikku exclaimed, putting the tray down on the counter, taking a few off and giving them to customers at nearby tables. "Sheesh, no need to get all defensive, okay? It seems to me like you've had a bit too much! But, maybe," she continued, "that's a good thing. Like we Al Bhed say: _dra suna oui tnehg, dra suna ruhacd oui yna_."

"De-raah?" he said dumbly, cocking his head to the side in confusion. He took another sip of his drink. Languages he didn't know hurt his head, especially when he was mildly tipsy.

"It means, 'the more you drink, the more honest you are', Tidus. It's an old Al Bhed saying," Yuna answered his unsaid question shyly. "Rikku means to say that you'll become more truthful in your actions because you've had so many drinks." And Yuna couldn't deny the beat of her heart when he'd slung his arm around her. She enjoyed it – he was warm and comfortable, though she'd never in her life admit it out loud. How she wished he was honest because of his drinks.

"She's bullshitting herself," Tidus said, scowling. "I'm completely fine because I'm always honest." He pulled Yuna closer to himself. "Including when I act all friendly with Yuna."

"Hmm, I see," Rikku said, smiling slyly. "So you admit you're kind of flirting with Yunie?"

"What?" Yuna blushed and looked at her clasped hands on the table, refusing to look in to Tidus' or Rikku's eyes. What if he was flirting with her? She didn't know how to respond – interaction like that never happened in Bevelle: it was considered utterly inappropriate.

"No way, Rikku," Tidus said hesitantly, almost. The blush on his face was just about as visible on his as it was on Yuna's. He also couldn't help looking at her from the corner of his vision, how she looked at her palms, not looking at him, averting her eyes, and how she'd obviously stiffened, her back as straight as a ruler. He wondered if that was a bad reaction if he was flirting, which he obviously wasn't. Would that mean she wouldn't accept his advances if he were to approach her with a move, which he wasn't going to do?

"Sure, sure," Rikku said, snickering, serving the customers meanwhile. She watched Tidus' reactions to Yuna, how he interacted with her, and found it all rather fascinating. "You obviously like her at least, as a friend. Introduce you to your world, let her meet some of our friends – she needs to know more about you as well." She eyed him from a moment while he was chugging down more alcohol. "Plus, I think you've had enough to drink, don't you think?"

Yuna ecstatic about Rikku's suggestion and consequently was delighted at the fact that she would possibly get to meet some of his friends, be connected to his world somehow. To learn more about this funny, charming Blitzer was something Yuna would want to do, especially since there was no way she could deny how she had been thinking about him, how his smile made her light up as well. He had become her connection to Zanarkand, and knowing his friends would make her become even more immersed in that world, even more absorbed. It would have made her happier to be more involved in the world she'd wanted to be a part of for so long now, to be an actor playing a role of some kind instead of the backstage worker. She didn't want to feel like an outsider from Bevelle for any longer – it made her lonely.

"Yeah, I think…" Tidus said, looking at Yuna's face, the smile which had spread across her lips at Rikku's suggestion. He blamed it again on the booze… no, Yuna's beautiful smile that made him want to introduce his friends to her all the sooner. So, he took her wrist and stood up with her, prepared to go out and show his friends to her. He would feel more connected to her if she did talk to people he cared about. He could imagine her laughing with them, smiling with them, talking to them, and being _happy._ "Okay, let's go, Yuna. I should introduce you to Lulu and Wakka at the least today." He looked back at Rikku. "Thanks, 'Ri."

And he rushed towards the door, grinning all the while, not caring so much about all the eyes on him. Yuna went along with him, clumsily stumbling around behind him. "Thank you," she whispered, though, glad that she had the chance to be part of his life. "I will never forget this."

But, he didn't hear it and continued forward, just smiling, like usual.

"Nothing to see here, kids," Rikku said, chuckling. "You might want to give him his privacy, you know?" She had noticed all the eyes which were on them, the chatter, the gossiping – even if her friend was drunk, she'd rather make him feel more comfortable so he'd actually make a move on Yuna.

He needed it – an honest girl, unlike his old floozy Donna, who would stand by him. Tidus had been through some rough times, she knew, and Yuna seemed like just the person he'd confide in. She knew how he liked to bottle things up inside and would have no chance to actually unwind. He would eventually break down, usually in front of her, forsaking the bright and cheerful Tidus. But, all she could do now was wait and see if she would be the one to heal him.

"I hope I'm right," Rikku whispered to herself. "I just don't want to see you sad anymore, Tidus."

* * *

"Ah, don't walk so fast!" Yuna exclaimed, tripping because of her elaborate shoes and attire. She didn't much think that the clothing of a Zanarkand citizen would suit her very much, and so, she was still dressed as a Sender. "I'm tripping!"

Indeed she did, but Tidus caught her swiftly without any sort of hesitation. Her head landed on his chest; she could hear his heartbeat synchronized with her own. It lulled her into a state of relaxation, almost sleep, until it occurred to her where she was, what she shouldn't be doing: leaning on Tidus' chest with his arms wrapped securely around her.

"Whoa, you okay, Yuna?" he questioned to the girl in his arms. Almost unknowingly, he tightened his arms around her – it was comfortable to have her there. Would it be terrible if he didn't want her to leave?

Alas, she did. She jumped out of his arms the moment she came to a realization about her current state, her current position. She hardly knew Tidus well enough to even give him a simple hug, let alone one where he was keeping his arms around her and she was listening to his heartbeat like it was the most heavenly music, music played by cherubs.

"I'm… I'm so sorry!" she said, panicked, bowing. "I shouldn't have done that at all; I don't know what came over me."

"Chill, Yuna," Tidus said, laughing, but still slightly disappointed that she moved so soon.

"Chill?" She cocked her head, curious. It seemed she wouldn't ever be familiar with casual Zanarkand lingo.

"Yeah, you know, relax," Tidus elaborated, still unwilling to show her how much he wanted her there in his arms. "It was just a little clumsy mistake on your part. But, even if it wasn't…" he trailed off before continuing. "I'd hug you anyway, you know? We're a lot less stodgy than you Bevellians," he teased playfully.

"We… aren't stodgy, just proper!" she stated. "It's not normal to hug people I don't know that well so casually," she explained, fidgeting, clearly feeling awkward explaining. And there was also the feeling welling up inside her, just a small sprout at first that would grow and grow until she couldn't take it anymore – the feeling that she wanted to know Tidus better, she wanted to know him and embrace him casually. She didn't think she'd ever have the courage to do so, after all, Tidus was a bright, charming, charismatic Blitzball player, whereas she was mousy, someone who couldn't possibly hope to overcome her fear and just hug him. Even Rikku, would she be able to hold in her arms tightly? The high chance was no.

"But, we want to know each other better, so it shouldn't matter all that much, should it?" he said slowly. And then, without warning, he pulled her towards him. "See?" he said softly. "I can embrace you just like this, right?"

"Mm," she mumbled. "I suppose…" because she didn't know what else to say about it, didn't know how to tell him that his embrace was more than just comforting, that he was tearing down her Bevellian propriety. She enjoyed it, and for once, didn't do anything about it, didn't try to escape from his grasp and apologize dearly, nor stiffen up, acting clearly uncomfortable. She decided for once to be honest. "This is nice, Tidus," she said softly.

Tidus felt his heart beat rapidly at her soft words and pondered on whether it would be better to not remember today, or for the memories to come to him slowly during his hangover in the morning. If it was the latter, his heart would be synchronized with its rhythm this day.

* * *

"Lulu works here as a fashion designer," Tidus stated, gesturing towards the store in front of him. It was brightly lit, quaint and homely. It said _Demi _above the arched door in cursive, black metal. "Her husband, Wakka, works in a restaurant. She's pretty well informed about the Blitzball scene since Wakka is a retired player. They've both been really good friends to me." He decided that was an understatement. He remembered feeling like his existence contained no importance sometimes in his childhood because of his issues with his old man, the lack of attention he received from his mother. Both of them had been there for him at that time, always treating him well. It was Lulu in particular who made certain he would never cry again. He wondered if Lulu and Yuna would get along well; he hoped so. "Lulu's a little eccentric, but she's a good person."

"I'm looking forward to meeting her, then," Yuna answered him soothingly. He seemed a bit tense, almost reluctant to introduce them for fear that they wouldn't get along. "Lulu seems like a nice person." And Yuna definitely trusted him on his selection of friends, if Rikku was anything to go by, bright and charming, caring and humorous.

So, they walked in, Tidus only slightly ahead of Yuna. He wondered how close Yuna would become to him now that he was about to introduce her to his friends. Would they become closer friends? Would they share their secrets to each other? Would she cheer for him in all his future Blitzball games? He hoped so, even though it may have been considered an ulterior motive for introducing him to Lulu.

The interior was rather cute – fabrics of all colours and degrees of softness and smoothness lined the walls. Racks upon racks of gorgeous dresses lay untouched along with shirts and pants. It seemed rather different than regular Zanarkand fashion, but so sleek. Yuna wondered what it would feel like to wear such a dress, whether it would make her seem more grand, more poised. She thought it wouldn't, after all, such a plain person was always bound to be plain, no matter the garbs on them.

"Tidus, what have I told you about entering my store when your stench reeks of booze?" a voice said. When Yuna turned in the direction of the voice, it came from a woman comparable to a supermodel in beauty. She perpetually remained unsmiling, but her beauty was that of a portrait. Her attire was strange, a belted dress, but it seemed to suit her. She placed her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't be drinking this much, your liver will be in trouble one day."

"Sorry Lulu," Tidus said sheepishly. "I actually came here 'cause I wanted to introduce you to Yuna."

Upon the analytical look on Lulu's face, Yuna wanted to shrink and hide in a dark hole, never to be seen at all. It didn't help that Lulu was a beautiful person who made her feel so very insignificant. But then she remembered, to trust Tidus, because his judgement was worth trusting.

"Your girlfriend seems different," Lulu started, "in a good way, of course." She approached her and took Yuna's hands in her own. They were surprisingly warm, so contrasting with her ice cold façade. She knew now that Lulu was a warm person, even though she didn't show it all that much. "Would you like to try on some of the dresses I have made?"

"Yes please," Yuna answered softly, unable to refuse her. As she was being led off by Lulu, Tidus couldn't help but think what a good thing this was that they were bonding. Lulu was a lonely person, he knew that, ever since _that _had happened to her first love. The wound always remained deep in her heart. She never had family either, so she only had Wakka. Tidus knew, somehow, that Yuna would alleviate her pain even a little, just like she did his.

* * *

_Words: 3 611_

_Al Bhed Translations_

_dra suna oui tnehg, dra suna ruhacd oui yna/ the more you drink, the more honest you are_


	6. Tearful Strength

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_After an exceptionally long time, it is here. I had no inspiration for this story at all. But then, by chance, I happened to look back into my old reviews and I noticed a review by Carter-Shiraz which was flattering to the point where I felt like I needed to write this again. My inspiration came back for this chapter. I would like to thank you, Carter-Shiraz. Your review helped me._

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Tearful Strength**

Yuna tried on multiple dresses that Lulu handed to her, feeling the silk in her hands, brushing her fingers over the immaculate embroidery. Lulu told her it was all hand-stitched. She wondered how long the woman sat by her fireplace, a book opened up to a random page as she sat on a comfy couch and began to craft her dresses stitch by stitch. She wondered how many times Lulu must have poked herself as she attempted to turn the pages of her book. Her hands clearly showed her hard work. On hands that should have been perfect, puncture wounds remained from a particularly hard run in with an oddly curved needle, faded scars that didn't really detract from her beauty at all.

"This one… here, I would like you to try it," Lulu said solemnly before passing her a beautiful grey dress. She seemed to hesitate slightly before passing it to her. Yuna did so before thanking the woman softly.

And she came out, Lulu smiled, such a contrast to the stone cold expression she usually wore on her face. Her lips relaxed, she then gestured for Yuna to do a twirl, of which she completed clumsily, nearly tripping over her own two heels.

"Does this dress hold sentimental value to you?" Yuna asked quietly, touching the beautiful black and white lace which seemed to encase the dress whole, like a coffin, and the conservative black ribbon at the waist. She looked at the floral print spread out across underneath on the base fabric, wondering how the flowers lost their colours of red, pink and yellow, why the sky behind was grey. "Why doesn't it have colour anymore?"

Lulu stopped shuffling through the dresses. Her nails from her right hand dug into her left. That must have been where at least a portion of the puncture wounds came from. "That dress used to have colour." When Yuna saw her grim smile, she could see just how broken the woman in front of her was. She walked toward Yuna, heels clacking against the floor. She raised her hand and fastened a small clip into Yuna's hair. The younger couldn't help but think about the comfort that came with her touch, how very familial it seemed. To her, it almost felt as if the woman in front of her embodied an elder sister. "It doesn't anymore though. I redid the entire dress ever since my… first love died."

"He," Yuna whispered, "died?" Shock swallowed her. How insensitive she was to ask such questions about the dress when the woman who stood before her suffered so greatly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She bowed, and remained in that position, fearing to look into the woman's face. "I shouldn't have been so untactful!"

Lulu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please, stand up. There's nothing to apologize for."

Warmth travelled from her palm, past Yuna's skin, straight to her heart, making it thump with comfortable palpitations like a summer day, warm in colour, all greens and blues, a scene visible in the Calm Lands, not Zanarkand. How strange that such a comforting warmth would be found in such a cold looking woman. Yuna felt ashamed for letting herself judge. Her warmth was comparable to even her father's.

Yuna rose slowly, still gazing down at her shoes and the patterned flooring. She shook her head firmly. "It's right that I apologize. I was untactful and I judged you too quickly, you know?" She took a quick glance and noticed Lulu's questioning cock of the head. Yuna smiled a little. "You didn't seem like you could comfort anyone. But, your smiles, the way you let me try on all your dresses, even the one that made you frown – I thought of my own father when you touched my shoulder."

"Your father?" Lulu questioned. She smiled serenely. "I am not a warm person as you say. It was true. Chappu always said I looked grumpy, but he'll never know that being with him were the happiest moments of my life." She looked grim. "It is unfair I think of him so much while being married to Wakka, but even if my love for Chappu faded with time, my care for him never did. Wakka and he were siblings, you know."

Yuna chuckled. "But Lulu,that does show you're a warm person. You aren't grumpy, I can see it. You smile, see?" Yuna gestured to her own smile. "Smiling… makes everyone happy. You're making me happy by smiling Lulu. If Chappu ever saw this smile, he knew he was making you happy, that those were the best moments of your life." She paused for a moment. "And Wakka, Chappu was his brother too. He would understand the pain you feel because for him it was the same pain, wasn't it? It is more than fair for you to think of him in his last moments," she said quietly.

Lulu didn't know when the dam broke and the river gate opened, leaving tears to streak across her face. When last she cried for Chappu, it has been when he died. Not since then had she let herself cry. Not even for the day a year passed since his departure to the Farplane. The younger girl in front of her just held her, a telltale blush on her face, as she had her moment of release, while she thought of Chappu one last time before promising to devote herself entirely to Wakka.

"I am sorry," Lulu said softly. She pulled off a dress from a nearby rack, almost seeming as if nothing happened to her, as if she didn't lose her composure. "I suppose I will do Tidus a favour and doll his girlfriend up for him. He was tasteful this time with his choice, unlike that girl Dona. Even though he decided to come into my establishment drunk again, I will forgive him."

Yuna shook her head furiously and tried to deny her claims, "Tidus and I aren't…"

The woman didn't listen, whether by choice, or by because of how engrossed she was in picking out the perfect dress, the perfect accessories, and picking up makeup. Yuna flushed as she wondered what Tidus thought of the misunderstanding. Surely he would not think it good, considering the number of women he had free pick from.

* * *

Lulu looked at her glum face and knew then exactly what she was thinking. She knew Tidus for many years and not once had he ever brought a girl like Yuna back, who was kind and compassionate. He felt attraction for the exotic girls who bore their tanned skin and paraded around like peacocks on the street at night, their clothes shimmering from the bright streetlights and screens. Though often short lived, Lulu heard about the hurt he experienced each time anything went wrong. With Yuna, Lulu felt it would go on much longer without all the needless pain and hurt.

"Whoa!" Tidus exclaimed looking at the girl dragged along behind Lulu. Yuna stood behind her, that same shy smile on her face that he'd grown to love, her nervous gestures present, like the fiddling of her fingers as she stared at her feet. Her dress made her feel more out of reach to him. It only occurred to him then really, that Yuna was the daughter of someone ridiculously famous. Not so much like his old man who was a famous Blitzball player, but a daughter of a famous philanthropist, someone associated with Maester Mika. Yuna would probably wed some rich, wealthy man in the future wearing a gown like now, white, delicate, like the first snow fall, wispy like the first stroke of a bird's wing as it took flight and cut through the air. "You look… uh… really pretty, Yuna," he said awkwardly, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Is that any compliment to pay a woman? How pathetic," Lulu scoffed, hand on her hip as she looked at him expectantly.

"It's fine. I don't expect him to say anything else," Yuna replied honestly giving him a small, cute smile which pulled at his heartstrings and made him feel sure as hell guilty when he thought of his own awkwardness.

He wondered if Cetan would learn guilt tripping tricks from here in order to get himself forgiven, then once again plop back down on his couch and pull out the beer. Just the thought of Yuna's current smile on Cetan of all people made him cringe in disgust. He thought briefly of Dona, her seductive, enigmatic smile as she would send him off to bed, the smile which lacked any sort of innocence. Yuna's smile on her lips wouldn't suit. And strangely, he wondered why he ever found Dona so attractive in the first place. Now that he found Yuna, he knew he couldn't settle for anything less innocent. Yuna, however, was the most innocent, the top of the tier.

"Fine, sorry," Tidus apologized, trying to avert his eyes. Lulu's piercing gaze made him all the more nervous as well. He wouldn't lie about how attractive he thought she was when they first met through Wakka, before they had gotten married, before they were dating. It didn't help that Lulu thought he looked an awful lot like Chappu. Lulu and utterly frightening often walked hand in hand, though and due to the number of times she got him out of trouble, she became like an elder sister. "You look… really cute, Yuna," he started and flushed at his next words, "really beautiful…"

He blamed it on the alcohol, even if the effect began to dissipate. Alcohol made him think and say things he wouldn't normally think and say. Yuna flushed, small blooms of rose on the apples of her cheeks, before giving him another smile.

The bell on the top of the door jingled, letting Lulu know that someone had entered her store. "I will leave you two be for now." She looked at the two briefly before walking toward the door. She hoped that Tidus wouldn't destroy the relationship he had with Yuna now. They were lost in their own world, a vase of glass, like she could see in, but they couldn't see out. She hoped that vase would stay with them because that vase signified their bond.

"So, did you get along with, Lulu?" Tidus asked her, desperately trying to change the subject so he wouldn't feel so awkward around the crazily adorable Yuna in front of him. "She's really awesome, you know? Really dedicated towards her friends, but she never got along with me when we first met."

"Lulu is… a very warm person," Yuna said, smiling. "I'm happy that you took me to meet her." She never mentioned how envy bubbled up within her at the thought that all the warm people, all the genuine, sincere people gravitated toward Tidus. The cheerful, bubbly Rikku was his friend, the warm, supportive Lulu was his friend. When Yuna thought of her own life back in Bevelle, she knew she didn't have anyone like that with her, nor anyone at all, really. Belgemine stood by her, her father stood by her, but no one more. If her birth took place in another place, she wondered if her life would have turned out differently. She wondered when the tears started to flow down her cheeks. She barely realized it, but when she looked at Tidus' shocked face, she touched her skin lightly and found the moisture present on her face. "I'm sorry; I don't know what's wrong with me," her voice shook and her throat closed up. "My life changed so much since I came here, all the people I've met, in Bevelle it was nothing like this. I just…"

"Hey, Yuna, it's okay," Tidus told her, not liking the look of tears on her face. Another difference between her and Dona, he supposed. Dona never cried, quite a bit more likely to make _him _cry. Dona hardly ever told him what she felt, hardly ever talked to him. Yuna bore her feelings for all to see, an open book. He swiftly embraced her within his arms, his head resting in the crook of her neck. "You have us now. It doesn't matter about before, okay? Your life will keep changing, but in a good way. You'll never feel lonely again, Yuna. I promise." He didn't know what he said that could comfort her, make her tears stop, but he knew he spoke from the heart. Whatever he said caused her to cry more, but in relief, he hoped. Her cute face covered in tears of relief far outdid her face covered in tears from sadness.

"Thank you, thank you," she said repeatedly into his chest, her tears soaking the material. He smiled just a little even though she couldn't see it.

* * *

Yuna didn't know if she would ever be able to see his home, yet they journeyed. The walk had been peaceful as all the lights around them set the dark sky alight, fitting for the city which never slept. She could see the Blitzball stadium, completely separated from everything else. They walked synchronized, like they were much more familiar with one another than they truly were. His steps matched hers, he actively slowed down in order for her to catch up. The area around his home contrasted the others so much, quiet, serene, they could hear their footsteps across the pavement.

Tidus literally pushed her on the couch when they entered his place, before he entered the kitchen. Yuna observed that it was circular in fashion. She could see the entryway and the kitchen where Tidus worked.

"Hey, you want something to drink?" Tidus scratched his head awkwardly as he opened his refrigerator. "We have beer and some soda," he said, "oh and we have orange juice as well." He looked at Yuna sitting stiffly on his couch. "Uh, not that you'd be interested in the beer at all." To imagine Yuna drinking a beer caused Tidus to think really hard, and even then, he couldn't.

"I'll have some orange juice then, if you insist," Yuna said shyly. She clasped her hands in her lap and flushed, the situation finally sinking in. She sat in Tidus' house, where he lived, where he slept. There seemed to be no other presence but Tidus' in the home. "Does your family live here?" she asked, treading lightly, to stop herself from tripping on a landmine.

"I moved out on my own," Tidus explained quietly while stepping back into the room, a beer can in one hand, a glass of orange juice in the other. He put them on the table in front of her before taking a seat on the same couch. He switched on the television so the silence between them wouldn't be so deafening. Tidus hated awkward silences. He remembered back in the day when his old man would only pay attention when he screwed up in Blitzball. His mother would be off somewhere, ignoring the commotion. His father would look sternly at him and yell, while Tidus would be too scared to even let his tears slip.

"_Aw, what's the matter? Are you going to cry on me again, you crybaby?" Jecht mocked. _

It was that face which haunted him day by day, those words. Tidus tried to become a star Blitzball player, and he had. But never had he once been able to impress his own old man. He was compared to him everywhere he walked. He still remained unable to do that stupid Jecht shot his old man prided himself on. He ran in the same spot, trying to catch up to his dad, but never once succeeding. Tidus envied Yuna for her ever-changing life, even though it was wrong. His life remained stagnant.

"My father was a little overbearing, my mother never once paid attention to me when he was around," Tidus explained. He took a quick glance to the side and saw her simply looking at him, no judgement, just her calming bi-chromatic eyes filling him with peace of some kind. It felt almost like talking to Rikku, except even more comforting. Tidus felt flushed at the thought that her undivided attention was on him. He never once got that kind of attention from anyone, not Dona, not his teammates. It felt almost like talking to Lulu and Rikku at the same time. "I… hate my old man. He drinks, and drinks, and mom, she deals with it all." Before he realized it, he showed all his hatred toward his own family to Yuna. "He mocked me all the time. And I never realized why mom never paid attention to me, why she dealt with all of his bullshit. He thinks he's all that just because he's famous." He quietened a little as he quelled his rage. "A family friend once told me that two love birds only have each other to hold on to, that if one of them passes on, the other one would too from grief. I guess maybe that's why," he felt himself choke up, "they never had room for me in their world at all. I never fit into that equation. I had to get out of the house, I couldn't do it. I used what I'd earned as a Blitzball player and got this place. And besides the occasional visits and the daily phone calls, I'm free from all that."

Yuna stayed silent, her mouth pressed into a thin line.

Tidus felt hot tears collecting in his eyes before he knew what was happening. He wiped them away with the back of his hand and whispered, "Sorry, you must be thinking what a wimpy guy I am, right?" And he was worried about what she of all people thought.

"No, you're strong," Yuna replied slowly. "You're strong just as Lulu is warm." He looked at her disbelievingly, and she placed a finger on her lips. "You know, my mother taught me one important saying that I always keep a part of me before she passed. It was something my father and I both keep a part of us." Tidus listened, intrigued by the story she was about to share. Yuna comforted everyone constantly, almost as if it were her duty to save everyone. Maybe it was, as Braska's daughter, some hidden clause he as a common citizen didn't know. "Ajah ev oui lno, ed tuac hud syga oui fayg. Ymfyoc csemehk ec uhmo bnadahtehk - ruhacdo ec dnia cdnahkdr. Du ytsed fryd oui vaam ec luinykauic." She paused. "It means 'even if you cry, it does not make you weak. Always smiling is only pretending - honesty is true strength. To admit what you feel is courageous.' Even though I can't account for feel what you feel in regards to your dislike of your parents, the fact that you were able to admit it, able to cry, makes you strong. I was happy to listen to a strong person."

Tidus flushed and smiled just a little. "Thanks. I can't guarantee how much you'll have to deal with my crying then. You know, my old man always used to call me a crybaby," he teased and hooked an arm over her shoulder. Yuna squeaked, surprised. He chuckled.

She took a small, delicate sip of her orange juice in order to calm her racing heart. "The more crying the better." They looked at one another, Tidus raised an eyebrow, Yuna wrinkled her nose a little, and neither of them believed what she said. They both exploded into laughter that overtook the sadness and silence previously engulfing the room. The room now held Yuna's presence as well, her gentleness, her peacefulness, and her strength. Tidus liked having to see her in his living quarters. He wondered whether she would come on to him, and then denied it with a laugh. Yuna couldn't even act naturally with his arm around her. But, he was happy, they both were.

The doorbell rang, interrupting the newly formed peace. "I'll get that," he sighed and said. When he rose and left her on the couch, his arm no longer touching her neck and shoulders, she relaxed a little. Her pounding heart pounded just a little less to a comfortable sort of flutter.

When he opened the door, he immediately frowned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

But Cetan obviously didn't listen and strolled in like he owned the place. Tidus was more than just displeased to see his idiot of a teammate here when he had his alone time with Yuna. He sighed and closed the door as he attempted to follow Cetan so he could throw him out. "I'm kind of having a little fallout with Dona right now. She's still a little pissed that I picked up your phone call when I was… uh… sick." It was quite obvious what he had been doing, Tidus grumbled. His lying sucked. "She also got pissed at me for not buying her the right purse. I accidentally bought the one from last year's fashion trend, apparently."

Cetan waltzed right passed Yuna without even realizing she was there. She looked a little confused. Tidus sighed as he saw Cetan open his fridge and pull out a can of beer. "Dude, stop stealing my beer," Cetan opened his beer, "and stop making this your house," Cetan plopped on the couch.

Only then did he notice the girl beside him. He frowned. "Ti' there's a random girl who broke into your house."

Tidus slapped his forehead. "She didn't break in. You pretty much did." It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Words: 3 619

**Al Bhed Translations**

Ajah ev oui lno, ed tuac hud syga oui fayg. Ymfyoc csemehk ec uhmo bnadahtehk - ruhacdo ec dnia cdnahkdr. Du ytsed fryd oui vaam ec luinykauic/ Even if you cry, it does not make you weak. Always smiling is only pretending - honesty is true strength. To admit what you feel is courageous.


	7. Smile

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_Thank you for all the comments and constructive criticism for last chapter. Here is the next. I hope you all enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Smile**

Tidus looked at Cetan with a glare, who in turn looked at Yuna with confusion, who then looked from one to the other, not quite certain what to say. Tidus felt a bout of irritation and frustration well up at the thought that his alone time with Yuna would be interrupted by the last person he wanted to see at the current moment. He remembered their brief moment of respite as they laughed, as she comforted him because of one of the many times he cried tears for his stupid old man.

He remembered Dona and how she would smirk at him and tell him to stop being a crybaby, so similar to Jecht he wanted to laugh. Yuna made him feel special, like crying didn't make him wimpy in any way. He appreciated it and maybe they would have become better friends if Cetan didn't interrupt them – the asshole who felt it prudent to go out with Dona while Tidus and she still dated. He suddenly remembered exactly why he was at the _Machina_ in the first place, drinking himself into a stupor. All the beer in the world couldn't make dealing with Dona and Cetan less painful and aggravating. His teammate Kiryl lessened it a bit when he occasionally told Cetan to back off and go home, but the guy had his own problems to deal with, problems that seemed so similar to his own.

Cetan looked at Yuna. "She didn't break in?" he asked dumbly, examining the woman in front of him – a short bob of brown hair, strangely different coloured eyes and a sweet, cute face. He decided upon the 'girl next door' type, not really a bombshell like Dona, but pleasant all the same. "Nice to meet you, I'm Cetan." He gave her what he thought was the most charming smile and stuck out a hand for her to shake, which she did so reluctantly.

"I'm Yuna," she answered, pulling back her own hand quickly, putting them in her lap, looking pretty darn nervous. Cetan looked at the small blush staining her cheeks and wondered why she was at Tidus' house.

"Hmm, never thought she'd be your type, Ti'," Cetan mused, looking from his teammate to the mysterious, shy girl sitting beside him. Yuna, she said her name was, looked alarmed at being referred to as such. "She seems kind of innocent for you."

Tidus sighed, wondering why Yevon decided to punish him by letting the idiot be so untactful. Sure, he'd never really dedicated his life to praying, or even part of his day really, but he hadn't done anything _wrong _so that had to count for something. He also wondered why Cetan thought he knew what Tidus' type was. He just compared every female to Dona – who, by the way, he thought paled in comparison to understanding Yuna. She wasn't _sexy_ but she was completely and utterly adorable. Tidus admitted he only recently grew the balls to admit he much preferred adorable over sexy. He could imagine Rikku laughing at him if he told her, spurting the drink she had in her mouth directly at him.

Upon looking at Yuna's expression, a little bit sad, almost as if she didn't think she'd be good enough, his annoyance toward Cetan piqued. He didn't like that gloomy expression on a face that nearly always smiled. And, he did much prefer Yuna over Dona anyway.

"Yuna a good friend. She's the daughter of Braska – it'd be good not to be a complete ass, Cetan," Tidus told him, grabbing the beer straight from his hands. "She's way better than your cheating girlfriend. If she was with you when she was with me, then she's probably with one of the other guys as well. I wouldn't put it past her." He plopped down on the open seat beside Yuna and slung a comforting arm over her shoulder. She noticeably relaxed, which he was happy about her. He somewhat expected her to pull away from him, a rosy blush staining her cheeks as he would look at her, amused at her innocence. But he was happier with it this way, strangely enough. He felt his annoyance fade, and then, warmth. He knew confusion when he felt it. It must have been the drinks from earlier taking a toll on him. That must've been why he felt a little feverish and like he got a bit of a headache.

"She was with me when she was with you," Cetan repeated. "That's 'cause you're second best when it comes to me, Ti', everyone is. There's no one else but me to turn to." When Cetan said that, it reminded him uncomfortably of his stupid old man; it was specifically when he used to insult Tidus' shitty Blitzball skills as a kid. He always wondered just how awful his old man was, especially to insult a _kid_. He tensed uncomfortably, clenching the fist not visible to his teammate.

"That's not true!"

Tidus actually had to ascertain he heard that right. Yuna, the shy girl from Bevelle, conservative daughter of Braska, a man who never raised his voice, raised her voice. She raised her voice to defend Tidus. He felt strangely happy even though the delicate woman looked ready to give his captain a good scolding. Not that he didn't deserve it.

"Tidus is a wonderful person – you don't have a right to call him second best," Yuna exclaimed, clenching her fists against her skirt, wrinkling the flawless material. "You know, I always wanted to see a Blitzball game in the stadium all lit up at night, in Zanarkand. I really want to see Tidus play as the Star Player of the Abes; it's not just a title, he earned it!" Yuna knew he had, especially working so hard to escape from his father, the legendary Jecht's, shadow. Cetan couldn't berate him like he had.

Tidus felt himself flush uncharacteristically. He patted Yuna's shoulder once. "Calm down, Yuna. It's okay, really."

She shook her head in reply, silently saying that it wasn't. He wondered what she thought, with her lips drawn into a tight line, her eyebrows furrowed.

Suddenly, Cetan looked embarrassed and flushed as red as a beetroot. "Uh, sorry, Lady Yuna." It only just occurred to him that he was speaking to a very important person, currently. He idly wondered if this was the reason Tidus stuck by her, but by the almost caring look upon his face as he looked as Yuna, he threw that thought aside. Tidus wasn't the type to use someone – even he could admit that. "I shouldn't have said that."

"I don't like when people talk down to others. You two are teammates, aren't you?" she whispered. "I would like to see the Zanarkand Abes win the championship…" she admitted, fiddling with her fingers, looking anywhere but at Tidus and Cetan. "Your team is the one I've chosen to cheer for. I want to support Tidus, to support your entire team…" Though she finished with an almost wistful smile, Tidus couldn't help but think she looked a little embarrassed – and who wouldn't really, when she'd spilled out all her emotions like that, like it was a glass overflowing, being tipped over, its contents spilling onto the hard floor. And Tidus felt honoured. She said earlier she'd cheer for his team when she put the garlands around each team captain's neck, but to hear that she'd cheer for _him_ as well brought a whole new feeling. To see those eyes of hers light up because of thinking of a Blitzball game that included him, his chest clenched, though not from pain. He could imagine her sitting in a seat somewhere he could see, so focused on his game, her smile wide, her hands clasped, as she followed his form through the water when he scored a goal. Then she would attempt to whistle, like he showed her when he first met her and he would look directly at her, attempting to reach to her from the watery depths, sending her a grin that she'd remember for a long time. He wanted her to remember his goals, his playing. He never felt more motivated to win a tournament and look flashy while doing so for a long time now.

"It's an honour," Cetan exclaimed, nearly speechless. He wondered if Tidus slept with her for the girl to be so loyal but then looked at her, saintly, not at all like Dona, so much innocence – he hadn't. Yuna for some reason, just felt attached to Tidus.

"Yeah," Tidus mumbled, surprised still at Yuna's outburst. He stood up and gave her his hand to which she took reluctantly, still feeling a bit filled with heat, not having the energy to look at him. He found that he wanted her to, though. "Hey, I should take you back. Your old man's going to worry then, isn't he?"

Yuna nodded and said, "Thank you." Nothing more than a small whisper.

Tidus looked at Cetan though, a much harsher look upon his face than when he previously dealt with Yuna. "Can you get out of my house in the meantime?"

Cetan didn't answer, turned on his television and began to watch as he sipped his beer. Tidus sighed and led Yuna out by the hand, trying not to think about Cetan in his house, and instead on how nice Yuna's hand felt in his own. He just hoped that when he got back, he wouldn't have to deal with a wasted Cetan conked out on his couch again.

"One more time and I swear I'll throw him outside when he's passed out," he muttered bitterly. "I know Dona wouldn't give two shits to find her boyfriend missing, but would Cetan know that?" He found himself strangely pitying the man. He wondered if this was why he let him get away with so much. After all, he had been in the same position with Dona once before, and ever the manipulator, he never realized she never cared about him. Sure, he knew their relationship wasn't based on love since he mostly just found her attractive, but he thought that with the title of boyfriend and girlfriend, there came at least a little care. Dona didn't seem to have it though. Tidus found he spent a little too much time and effort on her – because he did like to have a pretty girl on his arm, he'd admit – but also because he at least cared for her a little.

He wondered how much time of his life he wasted with her. Yuna looked at his expression, lost in thought, a little dismayed. She wondered what the strange feeling welling up inside of her was, like she fell into water and faced the continuous feeling of drowning, her throat closing up, inhaling water, and the lonely expanse around her of blue having no bottom, just the deep dark seas as it continued to push her further and further. She wondered why it appeared when they'd mentioned Dona, that Tidus used to be with her. Yuna thought back to what Rikku said, that he dated many girls, and wondered why she felt the way she did if she found him to be a special friend.

* * *

The walk was silent, almost uncomfortable. Of course, the festivities went on around them regardless of what they thought. Yuna, looking to the left, passed a street performer collecting quite a crowd – a woman dressed in clothes of the night, exposing by Bevelle standards. She blew flames all around the amazed crowd into shapes and figures. It even enchanted Yuna. But perhaps, she wanted to also get her mind off of this silent Tidus, then suddenly, she felt guilty. She knew she didn't want to pay attention because she still felt bothered by the thought of a faceless woman named Dona, one who decided to throw Tidus away. Yuna wondered if he still was hurt because of that, and decided that he probably was. After all, who wouldn't be?

Tidus suddenly let go of her hand and turned to her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry about that. Cetan can be a bit of an ass." He didn't want to tell her how irritated he was that Dona kept popping up into his life where he least wanted her. Even when not there physically, she managed to worm her way in indirectly. Tidus hated it, he hated how much of a mistake he made by getting involved with her at all. He didn't want to tell Yuna about Dona at all, to be honest. Tidus didn't want to let her in on what an immature kid he'd been, just wanting a trophy girlfriend.

"It's not your fault," Yuna told him, a small smile on her face. "And in any case, I have to support you two. You are from the same team!" He smiled at her softly in reply, wondering how some girl he'd met on the streets of Zanarkand actually began to mean something to him. He wasn't sure in what way at all – but he remembered how Rikku described him, a guy who dated lots of girls. She hadn't been wrong either. But Yuna, a girl, somehow managed to be different to him. Somehow – he didn't want to think about it anymore.

"So, uh, where are we heading?" Tidus asked, scratching the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly. At her confused look, he continued, "You know, to drop you off? I can't leave you by yourself can I? It's dangerous at night." He grinned. "And you can't whistle yet, can you? So I can't really come running to find you."

"That's true," she said softly with a chuckle. "I'll learn eventually though, just you watch." She looked awful determined, and Tidus couldn't help but chuckle, finding her adorable yet again. "It's the Embassy near the Blitz Stadium." Tidus nodded, figuring she'd be staying at an important place like that. He still never quite believed that the girl beside him was Braska's daughter while he, while pretty well-known, was a Blitzball player. And to think someone like her was even interested in the sport. He felt kind of honoured, in a way.

Then, all the tension vanished and they walked side by side. Their hands never touched, their fingers never became intertwined, yet they felt so much more comfortable. Yuna still felt a little bothered about Dona, but decided it would be disrespectful to ask – especially since Tidus seemed as if he didn't want to say. Tidus on the other hand wondered why she spaced out often, why when he waved a hand in front of her face, she'd turn to him with a small blush painted on her cheeks. Their synchronized footsteps could be heard above all others in the night air. Even though so many people walked around them, in front of them, they felt isolated, like in their own shell, a bubble of tranquility amongst a bustling crowd filled with chatter.

They kept up light chatter while they walked, until when they reached their destination, a massive structure constructed from stone and marble, with a large dome overhead. It towered over them, really only fit for the most important individuals. His drunkard of an old man got invited once to discuss something or another, but only once. It was mostly for politicians, after all.

She turned to him, standing on the steps, her skirt swishing around her when she turned to face him. A small, shy smile on her lips formed and she stared directly at him before turning away, flushing. "I suppose, I'll see you later then…" Yuna said this uncertainly, and for some reason, it made him hurt. He realized, seeing her frown made him frown, seeing her smile made him smile. Maybe it was because he saw her as a closer friend now.

When she turned around, prepared to go inside, taking a small step on the staircase, he called, "Yuna!" She turned around and he whistled with his two fingers in his mouth like he'd taught her. A pink blush on her cheeks, a small smile - she saluted and said, "Yes sir!"

He laughed, "Good you promised you'd come running when I whistled, didn't you?" She nodded with that same smile painted on her lips, delicate like pink petals falling from the blossomed trees in spring. He nervously shifted from one foot to the other, digging one of his shoes into the pavement, before he said, "Hey, would you like to come see the Abes practice tomorrow? I can give you this." He took out a small slip of paper from his shorts and showed it to her. "This'll allow you to get past the back entrance, though I doubt you'll have any issues, being Braska's daughter and all." He paused a little awkwardly, but looked at her expectantly. "So, you interested?"

Yuna took the pass from him and held it to her chest, somewhat shocked he'd even ask her. She smiled at him and said, "I would love to. I want to see you play." And the wholehearted, sincere way in which she said this, how she kept her eyes on him telling him she really would _love_ to see him play, made him blush. Even though he'd dated lots of girls in the past, entertained many female fans, just been in the company of many females in general, none of them ever managed to be so interested as to watch him play as her. Sure, they liked Blitzball, they liked to watch them play – but, they never _loved_ it. Tidus was there for the sole purpose of being that good looking Star Player they had on their arms; they watched him swim though the water because they were obligated to, not paying attention to his glides, how he'd pass the ball, how long he'd try to be better than his old man, how hard he worked to be great at Blitzball. They only cared about the goal, the thrill that came out of it when he'd have some stupid gesture to show _her_, that girl in the third row, fifth seat from the left, that he won that goal for her. Nah, not really.

But Yuna made him want to show her glides and passes and goals just for her. Tidus wanted to show off, to impress her, to make her eyes glow alight with flames of passion like she did when she first came to Zanarkand, looking around like she'd never seen any place like it before – not that she had really, she lived in Bevelle all her life, the innocent girl in front of him.

"Really," Tidus answered, perhaps more eager than he would have liked to admit. He had his pride to uphold though, he coughed clumsily, trying to get his mind off of the ardent flush which managed to streak across his face. Tidus never knew he'd ever blush around a girl. He never was nervous around them, flirting almost coming as naturally as Blitzball to him. "Uh, that's nice. Noon then?" he said, trying to recover his composure.

Tidus suddenly didn't want to go back. He didn't want to deal with Dona, or Cetan who most likely passed out on his couch. He didn't want to deal with any more problems in his life. He wanted neither to go to _the Machina_ to have a couple drinks or a nice coffee. He wanted to see Yuna's face, he learned. He wanted to see that eager face about his Blitzball moves, about everything to do with Zanarkand. He wanted that proud gaze settled on him where his damn old man wouldn't give it to him, a simple compliment, nothing – where his mother wouldn't even dare give him the smallest compliment because she wanted to please him.

"Yes, noon. I'll… meet you there?" Yuna answered shifting from one foot to another, mirroring his movements from earlier. He nodded, giving her a bright grin like what she was used to. With a small smile in return, she said, "See you tomorrow, Tidus." And just as sweetly and daintily as she regularly moved, she almost seemed to dance inside with grace and fragility, a small chuckle heard on the wind.

Tidus decided he liked hearing her name from his lips and wanted to hear it more often. With Blitzball on his mind, or more specifically, how to impress Yuna at his practice with the Abes the next day, he departed back home, prepared now with a light heart to throw Cetan out of his house and deal with an irate Dona.

"All I have to do is think about Yuna's smile when dealing with that banshee, right?" he mumbled somewhat unsurely. He shook his head. "I'm not going to let her get to me this time."

It was with that thought in mind that he didn't let anything worry him anymore. Yuna's smile did that for him, strangely enough.

* * *

Words: 3 502


	8. Apples and Oranges

**Proverbial Revitalization**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

_After a month, it is here – with some nice moments between Tidus and Yuna. Also a nice introduction to Wakka, because an FFX story is not a proper one without him. I need to incorporate my favourite line of his sometime in the near future – to give you insight, it's the one before the battle with Yunalesca. "Even in death, ya!" he says. I incorporated a different line of his in here, see if you can spot it – it's like 'Where's Waldo'!_

_Any comments and criticism is appreciated._

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Apples and Oranges**

Yuna woke up a bit late that morning and wanted to sleep in longer. She found it strange since she only remembered taking on the role of an early bird since the time she was a mere child who sat on her father's lap and watched as her mother watered the garden flowers near the Palace of St. Bevelle. She felt now like nestling back into the covers like a newborn chick curling into itself for warmth, its feathers a built-in blanket. Yuna remembered why she felt exhausted, and hid a small smile as she kept the blankets over her – Tidus walked her home after she spent some time at his house; she flushed, wondering if that happened to be a little bit inappropriate. Yuna never had much contact with men, ever, so etiquette of how to conduct herself failed her, she didn't know. Would Tidus think of her as easy? She shook her head, that man, with a sunny smile and such warmth would never use her – she knew that.

Then she remembered: Tidus. He asked her to watch him play today in the grand Blitzball Stadium she'd been dying to see for so long now, an aching feeling in her bones, in her veins. She could see him play, glide through the water like a dolphin and score, beautiful and touching like the first snow fall.

With that thought in mind, she got up and looked at her clock. The numbers stared at her mockingly.

"I'm going to be late!" She quickly hurried and got herself ready, trying to make herself look as clean as possible, and not the mess she seemed to look like, a major bedhead sticking up in all directions and wrinkled pajamas. "I can't go looking like this!"

And so she brushed her hair neatly and changed out of her clothes. Running downstairs she called out to her father, "Father, I'm leaving to watch Tidus play Blitzball at the Stadium!" and for good measure in case he locked himself in the office and was doing work for Grand Maester Mika, she wrote a small note explaining her whereabouts and taped it on the door with a small smile, then exited out to the streets.

She walked with a feeling of elation which bubbled in the pit of her stomach, imitating the feeling of a million butterflies of all colours twisting and turning and fluttering in an innocent ballet dance, quick and easy, soft and refreshing – revitalizing. Her palms brushed over the pass that Tidus had given her in her hands, all so she could see him play. She wondered what it would be like, watching a sight she'd wanted to see for so long now, so long it only seemed like a fleeting dream. A smile grew on her lips and a small flush as well, at the thought that her first sight of Blitzball would be Tidus instead of anyone else.

The crowd of people on the streets, bustling due to the time period of early afternoon, didn't frighten Yuna, as she looked with just her goal in mind. Her boots clacked against the paved roads, quickly as she almost jogged toward that lit up Stadium she saw – she could hear the screams from where she stood, the cheers, the love and affection for all the Blitzball players which seemed to rise into the air, high above the chatter of daily life, like an air balloon, eye-catching and filled all the way with burst of air torrents.

Yuna couldn't wait to be a part of it all.

* * *

The crowd size was indescribable – a mesh up of people of all types – avid sports fans with shirts depicting the Zanarkand Abes emblem, and small paper fans, along with Blitzballs in case they were lucky enough to meet one of the players to sign it. Yuna recognized the fact that getting anything of theirs signed by a member of the Abes made it into a priceless artifact of some kind. Everyone in Zanarkand held Blitzball highly, up as high as the stars, with fame that shone and glimmered just as brightly. To see players swim and dive and make themselves out to seem as if they lived and breathed the game, set their hearts on fire. It was the same way with Bevelle and prayers – the two walked hand in hand, though Yuna was sad that Blitzball wasn't held to as high esteem as it was here. She felt if she were born here among the lights and the stars, Blitzball and water and cheers that echoed through the entirety of Mount Gagazet, her life would be more than a bit different, she would be different.

Looking at all the women who could proudly show how they felt, confident and unyielding, she wished just a little she could be like them. Maybe expressing herself to Tidus would be easier then, to talk to him, to get closer to him, to not get so nervous around him…

Maybe it would be easier to get past the crowd and to the large translucent entrance which seemed to mimic the ripples of water without feeling as if she would be crushed.

"Excuse me…" she muttered as she headed through the crowd, trying not to accidentally push or shove anybody. Yuna, however, knew her tendency for unluckiness and misfortune to gravitate toward her like flies to honey. And just like that, when she reached near the entrance, when it was right within her grasp she bumped into two of the women she was eyeing – she could even see the guard out front, a man with strange orange hair, muscular and tanned, to whom she had to show the pass to, so he could lead her to the back entrance! They were beautiful women dolled up in pretty dresses of soft pastels and hair that was expertly curled, bright hair like Rikku's, blonde. "I'm so sorry!" She bowed, as was habit for her.

"Ugh, this bint bumped into us – I almost spilled my drink. What if Tidus'd seen?" Both looked impossibly cross and annoyed, though this one more so – a woman who wore heels to the stadium and stood with her weight distributed on one side as she held her hip. "Well, are you going to apologize more? You'd better – I almost lost my chances with the Star Player because of you!"

Yuna wondered if the woman knew Tidus. She wouldn't be surprised, Tidus seemed to know everyone. Every time they walked together, he greeted little children, the elderly, and fans of his. He definitely had popularity and for some reason, that thought made Yuna wonder if he saw her as anything different, whether he saw the woman in front of her as any different. Did Yuna have no chance to be a special friend to him like Rikku?

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Yuna strung together – a hopeless bullet of apologies as she grew more and more flustered, redder and redder like a tomato. She kept her head down, as tears were about to spill from her eyes. She never before got someone so angry that they would call her anything nasty – she wondered if that concept was normal in Zanarkand.

"Dang, and what's she wearing? It looks so damn prudish – does she really think she's going to catch anyone's attention this way, with a skirt that long and all that white? Makes her seem like she's wearing a bed sheet," the other snorted snidely, looking Yuna's attire up and down.

Yuna didn't reply, but kept her fingers entangled in the skirt they mocked, willing her burning eyes not to let one drop fall, not at all. She knew they gathered a crowd now, as some others started to look, or pointedly ignored them, not wanting to pay attention. Yuna thought about what they noticed and idly flitted through the possibility that they may have wanted to help her – but she knew, her own desperation took over. They either watched or did nothing, some snickering, agreeing with the girls. No one wanted to help her, not at all.

"Well, she'd certainly never be able to catch any of the Abes' attention with that ugly shade of blue, Tidus and Cetan 'specially – and Kiryl as well," the first one she'd bumped into said, sneering. "As if they would want to look at a plain woman – I mean you have nothing to offer!"

That hurt. She let her fingers fall from the fabric of her skirt which she saw as so beautiful, so blue like the feathers of a peacock. Belgemine stitched all the embroidery on it herself, the white symbols, and even beaded the ribbon which wrapped around her waist so securely. Her eyes burned more and her first tears fell, streaking down her face so cold and wispy, not calming in the least like spring rain, only like hail. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, feeling just a bit more dead. Her skirt, it was the exact shade of blue her mother used to wear too, as she'd dance and sing in the garden, in Al-Bhed, and tell her and her father to join in. Her heart burned too, like a volcano erupted from deep within its recesses.

They laughed at her tears, and other voices joined in, thinking the whole ordeal only made itself out to be a joke.

"That's enough, ya!"

When Yuna looked up, she saw the stern face of the man who stood at the entrance. He didn't look pleased at the women who were mocking her, nor the people who laughed at the side, not paying her feelings any mind. Weakly, she handed him her pass, just wanting to go inside, just wanting to get away from the women she'd thought to admire when she arrived, women she knew for certain Tidus would have liked, not a little girl like her.

He gave her a small smile and said, "I know, ya. Ti' told me to watch out for you! Lu' also told me 'bout you. Told me you were a sweet girl, told her what she needed to hear, you know?" He took her hand and led her away from the girls.

"But Wakka, what're you doing!" one voice called. Many others murmured in agreement, complaining about her privilege to go in ahead of them, and without paying no less.

"This girl here, she has a pass, you know? She can get in for free, and she gets to meet the players, ya," Wakka explained to them a bit smugly. "I don't think the players would like a special guest picked on, ya. Yuna's also daughter of Lord Braska, so being mean isn't good."

Before their reactions could even be seen, Yuna was dragged off by Wakka to the back entrance, a small and significantly less ornate. Yuna thought back to the conversation earlier and blinked. "Wakka… wait then you're… Lulu's…"

"I'm Lu's husband, ya," Wakka said, grinning. "Used to play Blitzball myself until I injured myself. Then, I got married to Lu', and I started to work in a restaurant – got pretty high up there, I'm a manager, ya. It's always been hard to give up Blitz though, it was my life, just like it was for Lord Ohalland, you know? He was a Summoner but still played," Wakka explained. Indeed, she heard of Lord Ohalland and how he played Blitzball as well, which is what baffled her about why the sport held such small amounts of recognition in a city like Bevelle. Ohalland accomplished so much as a Summoner while doing what his heart told him to. Wakka opened the door and led her down hallways with offices – employees inside working on what looked like complex paperwork. He saw where she looked and said, "They're working on ticket sales and how to maximize them, ya. They're also working on team budgeting and salaries as well as a lot more. More goes on with Blitzball than just the sport, ya."

It amazed her how much went on, how suited employees rushed by her, clearly sleep deprived as they held coffee in their hand and piles upon piles of paper hugged to their chests.

"How did you get involved with Blitzball again after you stopped?" Yuna asked curiously, finally finding the voice after having her appearance and her precious skirt insulted so gravely. She still felt sombre and the tears still trailed down her skin, albeit slower.

"Havin' drinks at the _Machina_, ya. I met Ti' there who said he'd seen my team play – we weren't all that great, lost a number of times back in the day. He said we all had skill though, that we just had to think about winning and not to just try our best. He also said he saw my skill, ya. The guy charmed me into working here, as well as the rest of my team since we all retired. We all work around here as managers and extra hands part time," he explained, scratching his head sheepishly. "It's more of a volunteer position, you know?"

"Tidus seems to… charm a lot of people, he's a good person. He must've known how good you were if he wanted to have you advise him in Blitzball, you know? And you seem like a very encouraging person, Wakka!" Yuna said, smiling weakly. Even though she knew this, that Tidus had an exceptional amount of good people gravitate toward him because he himself was good, almost like a strong magnet that could lure in everyone, she wondered if she were any different – like Wakka and Rikku and Lulu, or if he just saw her as a fan, or whether everyone was equal toward him and no one special. Yuna thought now, perhaps her core knew no extravagance, only plainness like what those girls said. What did she have to offer?

He noticed her tears then, and how she furiously tried to rub them away. He looked even more flustered. "My brother always used to say that there'd always be people like that – best not let it get to you and be proud of who you are, ya." He nodded once, remembering his brother.

Yuna knew then that he kept whatever his brother said to him close to his heart, remembering him even after he passed away. Chappu's death greatly wounded Lulu and Wakka, and they both held onto the fragments. "Thank you, Wakka."

"No problem, ya. I don't think Ti'd wanna see you crying," he told her, still embarrassed. "He'd probably smack me one if I didn't comfort you, you know? I'd agree with him. Leaving someone crying's the worst."

Yuna smiled a little. "You're… a very warm person, Wakka." He did know what just to say to make her feel a little better. The fact that he implied Tidus cared more for her than she thought, made her feel just a little more wanted. At the same time, she hated the selfish feeling of wanting to be special, to be like all of Tidus' friends were to him, like Lulu, like Wakka, like Rikku. She wondered if Tidus would confide in her more – she knew she would listen to him, without any complaint.

"Hey, _bnaddo ke-kenem-keanenym?_" a voice called, and as expected Tidus sprinted down the hallway cheerily. He looked a bit flustered because he himself knew he had no clue how to pronounce that second word. That terrible Al-Bhed accent could only be him, no one else. Regardless, he called her pretty – that made her flush a bit, no matter how funny he sounded. She gasped, wondering when she'd become such a terrible person, making fun of someone else's issues with the language when they wanted to get better. Yuna frowned, pondering how much of a good person it would be to laugh out loud- and chuckled slightly, hoping to remain undetected.

"Hey, you're laughing!" Tidus said, pouting. "Dang, and I was hoping to actually impress you this time." He sighed, ruffling his hair with his gloved hand. "I practiced but only the first word came out right… kind of," he tacked on sheepishly.

"You were close!" Yuna encouraged and then chuckled. "The second word is pronounced _keaynm. _Remember?" She smiled shyly. "I know you'll get it next time."

"I know I will – I'm definitely a genius at it," he joked, about as vain as even a snow white swan.

"Ti' your Al-Bhed would scare off even a shoopuf," Wakka told him dryly. "It's why Rikku told you once to never try again, and her old man laughed at you, ya."

"Hey! Like your Al-Bhed is any better," Tidus retorted, narrowing his gaze at Wakka who stood his ground. Wakka locked his arms around Tidus' neck in a headlock. Tidus struggled and said, "Hey, let me go!" Wakka, however, wasn't having any of it.

"I never tried to learn, ya!" Wakka stated, holding Tidus' neck tighter. "But when I do – you'll be the dumb one. So, hold your chocobos 'till then, ya."

It was then, when Yuna stared at them with a small smile, laughing inwardly at their antics, that he noticed the redness of her eyes and the trace of tears on her skin – tears which, really shouldn't' have been there. "Hey, let go, Wakka," he said, uncharacteristically serious. Wakka did so, and Tidus asked, "Yuna, were you crying."

"I…" she started, but clamped right back up. To be honest, she didn't know what to say – that she felt like crying as many tears as pyreflies the Farplane had, floating aimlessly whispering promises and singing songs in unison, that his fans made her feel like retching in a corner at the same time, so nervous and anxious that she was just an extra star amongst a sea of stars, light years away, unable to reach him in whatever far off galaxy she'd planted her feet in.

"Your fans said some pretty nasty things, ya – called her plain, said she'd never be good enough for you – that she had nothing to offer," Wakka supplied, looking a bit morose himself as he said it. He kept his hands in his pocket, brushing his fingers against an old charm he kept with him, one which used to belong to Chappu.

"You… didn't believe them, did you?" Tidus asked. One look at her face and he knew she did believe them. He kept his hands on her shoulders. "Yuna, look at me." She did, with those beautiful, different coloured eyes, though she looked about ready to dart at any second like a rabbit planning its first footsteps on a patch of snow new and old alike, falling from the cedar branches up above and from the grey, wintry sky. "They can be really petty, but you're not like them, you know? You're better. Trust me – I want you watching me play Blitz more than anyone," he admitted softly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Really?" Yuna asked softly, staring up at him earnestly.

Another thought shot through him about just how cute the girl in front of him really was. He felt a bit reluctant to introduce him to his teammates now – what if Kiryl suddenly decided that he needed a cute girlfriend like Yuna, what if Suzam who rarely dated thought that he discovered love while with her? He sighed as he wondered why on earth he had all these selfish thoughts when it came to her. He knew she needed to open up her world considering she came from conservative Bevelle, so introducing her would help her, he definitely knew. And he was her friend, so he should try to help her – after all, his thoughts were irrational. Sure, Yuna definitely beat Dona when it came to potential girlfriend material, since the woman treated him like the trash on her stiletto heels, but that didn't mean he felt that way for her.

With that thought in mind, he opened his mouth to speak, but Wakka beat him to it. "Cut out the mushy stuff, ya. It's givin' me a stomach ache!" Wakka did look a bit sick, and probably would have turned green, had he actually been. Yuna flushed very deeply at the thought. Tidus grinned and wondered if he should have continued for the sake of seeing the red blossom on Yuna's cheeks. A sick Wakka was an amusing bonus as well. "Ti', you should introduce her to the rest of the Abes. I gotta get back to work in manning the doors. I was supposed to be a sub door guard today, ya."

"Alright – you go do that. I'll introduce her to my teammates, y'know, besides Cetan 'cause he's the asshole that she's already met," Tidus said just a bit bitterly, thinking about lost times with Yuna that all happened because Cetan barged in like a lumbering gorilla. He grinned at Yuna. "We're not all like him – most of us have manners. Come on, I'll take you to them, Yuna."

"Okay!" she replied, just a little flustered, but she had no time to think about it as Tidus grabbed her wrist and darted down the hallway.

Yuna only hoped she wouldn't get a stitch in her side by running after him.

* * *

_Words: 3 533_

_**Al-Bhed Translations**_

_Bnaddo kenm/Pretty girl_


End file.
